A Historic Day

What can I say? There are really no words to describe the way I feel. Today is without a doubt one of greatest moments in our country's history. As a nation we have overwhelmingly shown that we are willing to vote on the issues and over come racial bigotry, fear mongering, and failed policies.

I talked about race and the election the other day. Lets be honest here, race was the 900 pound gorilla in the room this entire election. Now don't get me wrong, the election of Obama will not end racism but it is certainly a huge step forward. It is a day that I never thought I would see in my life time. I can only imagine what those who lived through segregation must be feeling. My father has told me stories about basic training in Biloxi Mississippi in 1961. I should mention that my father has always been tolerant of all races, albeit that this was the first time in his life he had ventured away from New England and he was perhaps a bit naive about the realities of segregation. His roommate was African American and when my father asked him if he wanted to go into town to get a beer his roommate looked at him with shock. "You can't be seen with me in town" he said. Little did my father know that there was only one bar in town that would even cater to black patrons. Shortly thereafter he was taking a bus when an African American woman stood up to give him her seat. My father was surprised and told her that he didn't want her seat. It was then he realized that this woman had become frightened, not because of my fathers reaction but because she was surrounded by white people who were clearly getting angry at the situation. Dad ended up taking her seat only for fear of retribution against the woman.

But this election wasn't just about race. It was also about pointing us in a new direction. It was about learning from out mistakes and reestablishing our credibility in the world. It was about responsible government. My hope is that Obama does the right thing. I hope that he is centric and brings the country together again. I hope that he doesn't sub come to the corruption of power. I hope that he is every bit the great president he has the potential to be. With so much already riding against him on day one if he succeeds he could be one of historys greatest presidents.

Your Vote Doesn't Count

That is a complete lie, I was just trying to hook you in with a shocking title. If the 2000 election taught us anything we all know that your vote really does count.

Now on to today's subject, intimidation and fear. Already this morning there have been reports of foul play and voter intimidation. In Virgina five voting machines at one poll suddenly stopped working. Elsewhere in Virgina and reportedly in other states text messages and signs have been circulating telling democrats to vote on Wednesday to avoid the long lines. The so called 527 ads on both sides have been over the top trying to invoke fear about the candidates and about what may happen if the other guy is elected. It is all pretty disgusting. Imagine what it would be like if we had civil national elections that focused only on the issues.

D-Day 2008

Tomorrow is it, no more predictions, no more analysis, no more speculation. By Wednesday morning or late tomorrow evening we will know the next president of the United States (hopefully). Suffice to say that I am nervous and will no doubt get little to no work done tomorrow as my office becomes my own version of election center 2008. I have laid out the issues that are important to me and have been clear about my choice. When casting your vote I beg you to make your decision based on the issues and how you think that they will have an impact on you and what is best for this country, not on aesthetics, not on attack ads or on irrelevant campaign tricks.

Congratulations to the Phillies

Even though I was pulling for the Rays you have to give credit where it is due. So in the interest of being a good sport congratulations Philadelphia! As for Tampa while I am sure their fans are disappointed today they still have to be happy with what they were able to accomplish this season. They won the AL pennant for god sake, that is no small task especially doing it in the AL East!

So now this years season is in the books and this baseball fan begrudgingly moves on to a tepid interest in the other professional sports while patiently awaiting warmer weather, a bag of peanuts, a cold beer and a score card for opening day 2009.

Series Delayed...and One More Political Post

For the first time ever a World Series has been delayed mid game due to rain. What a way to cap off such a crazy season. I mean come on, who really thought the Rays would make it this far ESPECIALLY after going through the Red Sox in the dramatic fashion that they did. It makes you wonder, will this little hiccup change the momentum and give the kids a much needed breather to recoup? I think that it will, it would be very fitting for them to bounce back now.

Now on to politics. I swear I'll tone down the rhetoric here pretty soon but with the election so close I can't contain myself.

When Sarah Palin was first nominated she was kept away from the press at all costs. When the media complained about their lack of access to the woman who could potentially be president of the United States the McCain campaign screamed that she was being treated unfairly because she is a woman. This has been the reoccurring theme for the campaign. Anyone who criticise her is either sexist or too far to the left (never mind that a number of top republicans have spoken out against her). Most recently this defense was used to justify her 150,000 worth of clothing and makeup.* This is why I am shocked that McCain's own advisers said this about Palin's new "rouge / diva" status:

"Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom,"

WHOA....talk about the kettle calling the pot black. Sounds like he actually wanted to use that one word a man should never call a woman unless he is looking to get slapped....you know the one I am talking about....it starts with a B and can make you itch.

This comment alone is far more sexist than anything the mainstream media has said about Palin. So how can McCain possibly accuse anyone of sexism anymore after his own campaign just basically said remember who the boss is....McCain the MAN, not Palin the DIVA. Go back to your knitting sweetie, let the boys deal with the gotcha media.

The worst part about all of this is that McCain has been right to keep a tight leash on Palins interviews. She is a disaster plain and simple. She is not competent enough to answer questions on Meet the Press, but she is competent enough with the nuclear codes. Give me a break.

*I will say that it is true that women are unfairly judged based on their appearance, however this was far over the top. Regardless, the only reason this issue is relevant is because of the campaigns portrayal as a down to earth hockey mom.

A few more thoughts on the election and race

First of all and very quickly I want to give a big congratulations to the Ray's for all that they have accomplished this year. While they lost last nights game you have to be pulling for these kids. It is fun to watch.

Now please indulge me for yet another politically themed post.

A close friend of mine is deeply concerned that Obama poses a risk to nation in the event that he is assassinated or loses by a close margin. I strongly feel that this should not be a factor in choosing a candidate. However I can't completely cast this argument aside as pure fiction either. The unfortunate truth is that my friends fears are backed up by some of our nations most tragic historical events. There is no doubt that in much of the country racial tensions are still alive and well. This is why McCain and Palin's comments about Obama "paling around with terrorists" and "who is the real Obama" are not only reckless, but also dangerous. Comments such as these only serve to fan the flames of racial bigotry in the end making my friends fears much more realistic. Let's face it, racism (and sexism) has (have) played a huge role in this campaign. The reality is that if Obama was white and had a more "Christian sounding" name this election would have been over before it even stated. So my friend is right to a certain extent. There is no doubt that there would be a massive sense of frustration, bitterness, and anger among the African American community in the event of a loss given his current lead (barring some game changing event) or if the unthinkable were to happen. But to use that as the only catalyst in making a decision is a missed opportunity to move forward. The fact that this could even be a factor tells us that while we have certainly come a long way, we still have a long way to go. In the end I really just wish this campaign was more about the issues and not about black / white / man / woman but that isn't the reality of our society. I'll be glad when this is all over.

Why I am Voting for Obama

Ok, this post has nothing to do with baseball obviously but since I can't watch the post season without being sick to my stomach indulge me for a bit while I go in a different direction for a post or two.

Let me start with full disclosure, it is no secret my absolute disdain for the current republican administration. While it isn't fair to blame Bush and his buddys for all of the current problems that we face, they certainly have had a heavy hand in destroying our economy, our reputation, our environment...etc..etc. You would be hard pressed to do a worse job than this administration even if you tried to screw things up.

That said, even though I am a registered democrat, I do not think that it is right to only vote along party lines. To truly make an intelligent decision about who is right to lead the country it is CRITICAL that people understand the issues that are important to not only them, but to the rest of the country. At the end of the day though intellectual curiosity and sound judgement are two key attributes that a candidate must posses.

So what about McCain? While I certainly appreciate his military service and feel that he is intelligent, I do not agree with most of his policies. But what really kills it for me is that clearly he is lacking in judgment. Let me break down the deal breakers for me with McCain:

Taxes and Health care - Last night at the debate McCain trumpeted that no one should be saddled with higher taxes. This is irresponsible. We have seen the effects of fighting two wars while cutting taxes, not to mention $700 billion that we sent to lower Manhattan, and then there were the economic stimulus checks to nowhere. These all have to be paid for. Somehow, someway McCain knows he is going to have to raise taxes, but how will he do it? Part of how McCain plans to pay for making Bush's tax cuts permanent is by taxing employee health care programs in exchange for a $5,000 tax credit. This is a thinly veiled tax on workers who will have to pay for the increased health care out of their salary, or will elect to just drop coverage all together because it is too expensive. In that scenario we all know that $5,000 isn't going to amount to a hill of beans if someone gets sick. Do the top 5% of America really need that second villa in Tuscany at the expense of "Joe Six Pack" not being able to see a doctor? How can Mr. Six Pack fulfil what McCain last night called his responsibility to health care if he has to decide between surgery and spaghetti?

People who can't afford insurance amd people with pre existing conditions that make them uninsurable are basically screwed under McCain's plan just as they have been for decades. Under the current system insurance companies can drop you even if you didn't know about a pre-existing condition, chrons disease for example. A close friend of mine can't get health insurance now because he has Chrons disease, again, a condition that he didn't know he had when he was first insured. Now if he needs to go to the doctor he has to decide between just toughing it out or going thousands of dollars in debt for hospital stays. Unfortunately neither candidate is calling for socialized medicine which I believe should be a right. We can essentially socialize wall street but we can't do the same for the uninsured? Health care shouldn't be a for profit business.

The Economy - I am not an economist, and I certainly would never pretend to be better versed on the financial markets than I truly am. However McCain isn't an expert either and has said as much. His comments that the economy is fundamentally secure as wall street crumbled around him only send up even more red flags. As we all saw during the failure of the first bailout package McCain had little to say and mostly got in the way. Now I do not feel that Obama has given us a terribly straight answer on what he proposes to do to fix the situation we are in. However, given McCain's history of deregulation I don't feel he has a grasp on the realities of greed on wall street and fear that once the markets stabilize he would eventually revert back to a lack of oversight.

Sarah Palin - Palin is perhaps the best example of McCain's poor judgment. I hate what she stands for, a political ploy to capture female voters. That combined with her positions on everything from gun control to abortion to teaching creationism in school is the polar opposite of what I believe. She is dangerously naive with regards to foreign policy and didn't even have a passport until the last few years. Whats more, I get the impression that she thinks that this is all some sort of game and that once (if) she ascends to the oval office it will be just like running Alaska. That scares me tremendously given we are now witnessing the results of someone who has no business being president running the country for 8 years. Further, in Alaska I don't think too much of the whole troopergate investigation...did she abuse her powers, probably, but every politician does at some point. What worries me is her blatant nepotism and crony-ism placing unqualified people in positions of government power in Alaska just as Bush has in DC. All that and the fact that a person who is running for vice president can not even answer a question about the Bush doctrine or how being able to see Russia gives her foreign policy experience. If you were Joe six pack then fine, who cares if you don't know what the bush doctrine is, but if you are a heartbeat away from the nuclear codes you better damn well know. Much has been written about McCain's health and ability to serve out his first term, as such putting a woman with Palin's experience so close to the Oval office is nothing short of reckless and irresponsible.

The End

No, not the end of this blog (even though it has been almost a month since my last post) of course I am talking about the end of the stadium. There is not much that I can say other than in my opinion it is a horrible way to top off an even worse season. I will admit that they did a great job sending it off and that I may have been a little misty eyed a few times there. It has been hard for me to watch baseball the past month I have to say. It has been like watching your friend slowly bang his head into the wall for no good reason and then topping it off by burning down his or her childhood home. Regardless it is time for me to get back in the game. At the end of this season despite missing the playoffs for the first time in thirteen years the Yankees will still be the greatest sports franchise in the world. Nobody can take that away from them.

The Stadium

We have known for a long time that this would be the last year in baseballs cathedral, but watching the final Yankees / Sox series really drives that home. Partially because the media keeps talking about the historic series, but mostly (at least for me) because it is finally starting to become a reality. It is so sad to watch. Whats worse is the performance of the Yankees in the last year of the stadium. The other day I wrote about when is the point of no return for New York's season....well this series is it. Sure, other teams have given up huge leads in September, but I just don't see that happening this year. If the Yankees don't take this series against the Sox we can pretty much assume that there will be no final October in the House that Ruth Built. It is enough to break your heart. That's all I have to say about that.

Good Luck

Two friends of mine departed for Boston this weekend to start Grad school and law school. As a result I have been busy with goodbye parties and other things that have kept me away. I'll be back soon but in the mean time good luck to Matt and Jen.

When Is the Cutoff?

I've been absent lately due to a number of recent events (good stuff don't worry) but I want to pose this question. At what point do the Yankees:

1) Concede the division
2) Concede the wild card

I know it isn't quite time to chalk it all up to the Gods of "we'll get em next year" but I would be lying if I said I am not nervous.

Ouch

I knew it was going to be a tough couple of weeks facing off against Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Yankee Killers....whatever you want to call them. At least we split last weekends series, but this one, oh how painful it was to watch. What is worse is that it puts us 8.5 games out of first and 4.5 behind the Sox. It isn't time to panic yet, but it is certainly time to be concerned. Especially since there are some reports that Andy's arm is tired. Wouldn't that be great, if Andy goes down our rotation is officially spent.

The Sox did lose Wakefield for at least two starts but I don't think that is going to make a huge difference unless the Yankees can get it together and go on another tear. Depending on how long he is out it could help us a bit going into the next series against Boston at the end of August. It won't mean a thing though if they can't get back to within three games of the Rays by then who as I have said seem to be holding on to their momentum.

Ian Kennedy is consistent....consistently bad. I feel so bad for that poor kid. He is lights out in the minors but can't seem to catch a break in the big leagues. I have a feeling that he is going to be on the block around the winter meetings. Such a shame that the Joba rules didn't apply to him and Hughes. They both are no doubt suffering the effects of being rushed up too quickly. Speaking of Joba, we will just have to wait and see how bad his injury really is. I've got a really bad feeling that it is a lot worse than has been reported.

Joba Goes Down

Seriously....what the hell is going on? Why can we not keep a single player on the team healthy? While Joba's shoulder isn't suppose to land him on the DL, he will be undergoing tests in New York today to check out what he described as a grabing sensation. What I didn't know is that Joba actually has a history of hamstring problems. We will just have to wait and see at this point but I am putting it at 90% that he misses his next start. So who will replace him? Chances are it will be Ian Kennedy.

Where Will Manny be Manny...4:00 is looming

The trade deadline is today at 4:00 and everyone and their mother is talking about where Manny will end up being Manny for the remainder of the season. The three way trade rumors I have read are so complicated they make my head swirl. In fact I think I saw something in there about an ox and three chickens being part of the deal. Now it is well known that I have never been a Manny fan, I think he is arrogant, lazy, and up until now he has been one of the faces of my most hated team. What's more he just doesn't seem to get the way a modern baseball front office works.

"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me," Ramirez said. "During my years here, I've seen how they [the Red Sox] have mistreated other great players when they didn't want them to try to turn the fans against them.

"The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. Their goal is to paint me as the bad guy," Ramirez added. "I love Boston fans, but the Red Sox don't deserve me. I'm not talking about money. Mental peace has no price, and I don't have peace here."

Come on Manny. Yes you can hit the ball (hell, you can even hit traveling secretaries)but you could phone it in to left field and no one would notice. Plus you have to face the fact that you are 36 and starting to break down more often (although its debatable if you are actually injured). Whats more, for all of your talk of loyalty an organization should have to a player it is pretty hypocritical when you go and publicly air dirty laundry. Look at all the success the Red Sox have had by getting rid of guys at the right time. Sure, Nomar may have been a little offended, but look how much he has crapped the bed since leaving Boston. Same for Pedro, in fact has he even pitched a complete season since leaving without a trip to the DL? I hate to say it Manny but they are the right moves. Maybe they forgot to send the fruit basket with the trade papers but it worked out for the team in the end....and this is coming from a Yankees fan. Regardless, after 4:00 today it won't matter because you are not going anywhere.

One last thing......I say again that never liked you Manny, but then you go and says something like this:

"I should go to Green Bay straight up and they should send Brett Favre to Boston. That will end two soap operas at the same time,"

Ok that was pretty funny. Let's get together and talk about how much we both hate the sox.

BREAKING NEWS - YANKEES SIGN PUDGE

Wow!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3511535

A Tough 2 Weeks Ahead

The Yankees played the O's last night which means I finally get a chance to watch them on TV. The problem was it wasn't a game you wanted to watch from the perspective of a Yankees fan. The consolation was that both the Rays and the sox went down so thankfully none of our gain from the streak has been lost. I'm not really worried about the O's though, what I'm afraid of is the schedule for the next two weeks. The Yankees have to face off against the Angles 7 times before August 10th. Why is it that the Yankees have such a problem with the Angels? They were the only team in the Joe Torre era to hold a winning record over the Yankees yet through most of that time the Yankees were a much much better team. Maybe it psychological, or maybe it is something else who knows.

I mentioned yesterday that I think that Tampa is the real deal, but what about Boston? I hate to say this but even with Manny grabbing for dollars I don't see them going anywhere either. I think that this will be one of the most exciting Septembers the AL East has had in a long time. In fact I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar to the pivotal 1999 Boston / New York series. But September is connected to August and with the race so tight if any of these teams hopes to stay in the game for October now is the time to get it done.

Manny Being Stupid and I'll Trade You

Manny being (stupid) Manny

If you are Terry Francona what do you make of the Manny situation? You can't bench the guy because you can't afford to lose his bat, but on the other hand Manny seems to be doing a fine job of taking himself out of the lineup. From the point of view of a Yankees fan nothing makes me happier to see that one of their best sluggers is fed up with the organization. But from the point of view of a baseball fan this type of attitude is frustrating. Star players have often voiced their discontent with their clubs in the public to gain better trade and salary leverage. But having a guy who keeps saying that he is injured despite what team physicians say is obnoxious. What worries me more is that Ramirez may be trying to make a move to New York. Now I have not heard any rumors to back this up, but in the past he has voiced an interest in playing for the Yankees. Would I love to have his bat in the line up? Of course, I would be an idiot to say that I didn't. But what I don't want is to have to deal with is Manny being Manny. It is too distracting and I just don't think it would jive well in the Bronx.

I'll Trade You

Meanwhile in the land of trades the Yankees picked up some quality guys with the trade to Pittsburgh. I definitely think that New York got the better end of the deal dishing out Karstens et al for Nady and Marte. It is going to be really interesting going down the stretch once players start coming off the DL. To be only three games out of first and two behind the Sox right now is pretty impressive given everything that has happened to the team this year. Still, don't count the Ray's out just yet. Everyone thinks that they have past their peak for the year but I don't buy it. The Ray's are a hungry team and if anyone questions the importance and impact that can have on a club just look at last years Rockies. I smell a Rally Ray coming to Tampa Bay in the near future.

Finally, there was more talk about Bonds playing in New York this year. To be honest given the trade we just made I don't think that it is very likely, but it certainly isn't completely out of the question.

My New Policy

This will be the last time that I post in the midst of a Yankees winning streak. I have realized that every time I do they end up losing their next game. Don't be confused, I am not quitting my blog, I am just very superstitious about streaks and I don't want to be the one who spoils things. One thing I will say before I go quiet for a little while is WAY TO GO ROBBIE CANO!!!! He is FINALLY starting to turn his season around with multiple hit games and is looking like the player we know he should be. It couldn't have come at a better time with Posada down and Matsui up in the air.

Po$ada Longs for DL, Returns

Let this and Curt Schillings troubles be a lesson to teams facing decisions about whether or not to resign aging players for exorbitant contracts. Po$ada has already missed a ton of games this year, and if he puts off a decision on surgery for too much longer he could miss some of next year too. Sigh. Of course I love Jorge and it is true that he has been playing through a lot of pain this year. However this is more than frustrating. If Jorgie needs the surgery then get it done ASAP. Don't fool yourself into thinking that rehab is going to help. I saw your throws to second on Sunday, and Jorge, you still look like that arm is pretty dead even despite the other shoulder going this time. So it is time to just shut it down and let Molina get his last chances at the plate.

The good news is that even with all of the injuries the Yankees are still only three games behind the sox and 4 1/2 out of first. That is pretty impressive given all the big names who are currently sipping Mai Tai's watching Baseball Tonight.

Bonds in the Bronx?

There are rumors circulating that Barry Bonds could be headed to the Yankees thanks Matsui's bum knee. I can't believe that I am about to write this, but as crazy as it sounds it might just be a good short term solution for the Bombers. Let's look at the pros and cons:

Cons

Barry's attitude will not jive well with the Yankees or especially the fans
Bonds hasn't played a game all year
He would only be useful as a DH and / or possibly at first if Giambi goes down
That whole pending lawsuit thing
His joints are dead thanks to all the juice

Pros

His OPS is still phenomenal
He would be willing to play for the league minimum
He is motivated to get to 3,000 hits so he wouldn't just leave his bat on his shoulder like some other guys on that other team

Still its tough to say. What do you think, should the Yankees give Bonds a run?

Francona in Charge at the Stadium Makes Me Ill

I thought my hand was bad enough (it is actually better now thank you) but tonight Terry Francona will be in charge at Yankee Stadium. It is almost like the president has undergone surgery and Osama Bin Laden has taken over for him while he was under anesthesia. I suppose I can deal with it for one game for one night, but I swear, if he closes the game with Papelbon instead of Rivera I am going to stop taking my allergy medicine for the purpose of swelling my hand back up to mythic proportions. That way when I smack Francona in the face it breaks his fricken jaw.

Seriously though, should there even be a discussion about this? Tonight's game is the last all star game in the Cathedral. The house that Ruth built for god sake. Anything other than letting a Yankee close out this swan song for the stadium is an insult to the game itself. Papelbon can suck my.....thumb if he thinks he deserves that honor over Rivera.

Nurses and Doctors and Needles Oh My

From Websters American Heritage Dictionary:

Sucks - Getting a spider bit that ends up getting infected, makes your hand swell to there times its usual side, and requires two (and maybe more) excruciatingly painful shots in the back side.

While this isn't really what Websters has as a definition for word "Sucks", I plan on submitting this definition after whats has happened to me in the last day.

Yesterday morning I noticed that my right hand was a little swollen but I didn't think much of it since I am used to getting bug bits that make parts of my body swell. Well once the allergic reaction started to make a rash go up my arm I decided that it was time to see the good old doctor.

Now I am just an ordinary guy which means that it is preprogrammed in my DNA to not go to the doctor unless something is falling off, or someone forces me to go. Last night this was getting getting to the point where even I thought I needed to see a doctor. I'm glad I did. While the doctor said that he sees this type of thing at least once a week he also said that 20 years ago I could have been hospitalized. I was given the choice between and hour long IV drip, or two shots in the ass which the doctor said "I've got to be honest are painful." Well I can't do needles I can see (they terrify me) so an IV drip was out and the shots in the ass were in. When he said the shots were going to hurt I thought he meant the injection itself. Nope...I got my shots last night around 9:00 and I could barley make the walk back to the subway. This morning it feels like a pack of Clydesdale's complete with the full Anheiser Bush beer wagon ran directly over my ass. Whats worse is that I might need to get two more of those little beauties later today.

I rarely put my personal life on to my blog because frankly most of the people who read this are people who I already know. But I feel sharing this experience is important. It was only after a lot of Internet research and other people sharing their stories that I realized the potential severity of my bionic hand. So the moral of this story is if something like this happens to you, you do need to go and see the doctor. It won't just get better on its own. Coming from me that should be advice that you can take to the bank.

~~7-14 Update:

Turns out it was just a severe allergic reaction to something, still, I am glad I went to the doctor. My hand is finally back to normal (almost)

If the Yanks Make the Series I'll Grow A Giambi Stash

Much has been said about Jason Giambi's mustache this year but who would have thought that it could actually tip the scales and get him elected to the all star game?!?! In case you haven't heard already the American Mustache Institute has formally endorsed Giambi in his bid for the final slot on the roster.

"The only choice for the final roster spot on the 2008 American League All-Star Team is Jason Giambi. He not only represents the great Yankees dynasty previously led by the likes of Reggie Jackson – the father of the mustache in modern-day baseball – but Giambi represents the hopes and dreams of the previously downtrodden mustached American, a breed that was on the U.S. Endangered Species list as recently as 2005. Clearly, the voting public must takes into account Giambi’s powerful lip fur, as it signifies great intellect, good looks, and the ability to stare down the most powerful of martial arts gurus. And while none of that may matter on the baseball diamond, it’s the most compelling reason offered for All-Star status in the history of the game."

As if that wasn't great enough, tonight the Yankees will give away fake mustaches to the first 20,000 fans. You have got to love this stuff, I can only imagine how funny it is going to be with 20,000 fans sporting the fake lip hair. The real funny thing though is that it is true that since Giambi started sporting the stash his performance has drastically improved. Will the stash be good enough to earn him a contract extension with the Yankees though? That remains to be seen. But I will say this, in honor of Jason's stash, if the Yankees make all the way to the fall classic I will grow a mustache of my own for the duration of the world series. I'll even start growing it during the ALCS in order to have full form in time for the series. This is my pledge, and if it should happen I will back it up with pictures.

Distractions

Where would we be if it wasn't for the NY Daily News coming up with new names for the continuing saga of A-Rod? Well as of this morning it became official, C-Rod is D-Roding A-Rod. Apparently the M-Rod scandal was the feather that broke the Camel-Rod's back. This is the last thing the team needs right now, yet another distraction in the midst of a year where seemingly every damn player has visited the DL and where we can't seem to catch a break.

As if this distraction and the news that Johnny Damon is headed to the DL for the first time in his career isn't enough, from the land of missed opportunity comes news that CC Sabathia is headed to the Brewers. Sure, the Yankees really didn't have a lot to offer Cleveland for Sabathia but still, it would have been worth it to at least make a big push for the guy.

At the very least last nights game was a gem and we managed to split the series against the sox. Brett Gardner has got to be feeling on top of the world today after his walk off to win the game for New York. You always have to love stuff like that. Unlike Manny who couldn't even manage the strength to get his bat off his shoulder late in the game.

Now is the time

With the all star break nearly here the Yanks are set up for a tough weekend going into the break. They play Boston this weekend followed by the Rays. It still seems unreal to think that the Rays are a legitimate team, but I have to give them props for being in first place this late in the season. Now is the time for the Yankees to make their move. If they lose these next two series I think that it could be a sign of whats to come in September. However if somehow they manage to take the two series the AL East could get even tighter than it already is. Here's hoping.

Can You Spare a Moment for The....

~~This post should not be construed to mean that the organizations mentioned do not do important work. Rather it is a commentary about the poor working conditions and negative message that is sent by their tactics.

If I may go off topic from baseball for a bit....it is summertime in DC which means that the public advocacy groups have hired their yearly batch of idealist college students to canvas the city to raise money for a number of causes, be it the environment, Darfur, torture you name it. Every day a DCist can expect the hum of "can you spare a moment for the...(pick your cause)" to be louder than the cicadas that haunt our ears every 17 years. Now don't get me wrong, I am a liberal, an environmentalist, and I am against the genocide in Darfur and the torture of terror suspects. What bothers me however is that these poor college kids who have their hearts in the right place are preforming nothing less than slave labor for the benefit of organizations who accomplish very little other than to make us feel guilty for not stopping taking a moment for the environment. Granted, that automatically makes me a terrible person because it shouldn't annoy me that people are doing this for the general good of society. And of course it isn't always the case that every advocacy group actually accomplishes very little. But honestly lets face it, we could all do without the disapproving looks of John and Jane college kid. Here are some of the worst offenders that I have come across in my travels, not just in DC, but from personal first hand experience when I myself tried to take a "summer job for the environment."

Sierra Club - I actually worked one of these positions for a while and it was horrible. Every night after I finished my day job I would be loaded into a van and dropped off in a neighborhood where it was my goal to sell as many subscriptions as I could door to door. At the end of the night you would take a small percentage of the subscriptions as your pay for the day. Trust me, there was no way I was going to make even close to the $3,000 per summer that was advertised and I consider myself to be a good sales man. Now I know that the Sierra Club cares about the environment, but aside from being underpaid the poor kids that take these jobs are also (at least in my experience) unappreciated and mostly unwelcome by the people they talk to. To me it seems like you can't save the environment unless you have people that want to believe in what your organization is doing. Trust me, a few weeks with the Sierra Club would make even the most ardent environmentalist question if this is right for them.

State Level PIRG Operations - Where I went to college in Western Massachusetts MassPIRG was where it was at. Everyone who cared about the environment wanted to be a part of it. The problem was that it was completely left in the hands of students who again, had their hearts in the right place, but had no idea what they were doing. The only accomplishment that I ever heard about MassPIRG achieving while I was there was the closure of a grandfathered and polluting power plant years before. Everything else I heard about them involved internal strife, poor working conditions, and hastily elected officers who were there more to pad their resumes than to save the planet. To this day when I see someone working for US PIRG I can not take the organization seriously after witnessing what it allows its local branches to do.

Greenpeace - Nothing gets me more angry than Greenpeace. Especially because I think that the world needs an organization that takes strong action and drastic measures to make its point. But what I don't like is that they break the law and often times hurt innocent people. This gives the entire movement a bad image and paints a picture that all environmentalist are living in trees and shooting at loggers. Its a shame, if only we could find some happy medium.

Aside from all of this I still applaud those kids who are out there everyday in the heat and humidity. Like I keep saying, at least your hearts are in the right place even if you get on my nerves.

Something Positive For a Change

Finally a ray of light in a season filled with more injuries than a 12 year old knife juggling contest. Chamberlin was nothing short of phenomenal last night regularly hitting 99 mph on the radar gun while striking out seven and walking one in 6 2-3 innings. They even extended the Joba rules to 114 pitches.

Meanwhile has anyone ever heard much about Dan Giese? Yeah, neither have I. I did a little research and it turns out this guys story is a whole lot like the movie The Rookie. The long and short of it is that he was a career minor leaguer who left baseball and became a used car sales man before finally returning to the game. He made his first major league start against the Reds the other day, and even though he didn't win you still have to love a story like that.

Schilling Still Sucks

I feel like running around in a circle singing ding dong the witch is dead now that it looks like Schilling has thrown his final pitch in the majors. If it was for any other team I would say that he should give back the $8 million bucks he scammed from Boston. But since it is the sox I think that really the right thing to do would be to donate at least some of that money to a charitable organization. However knowing what I do about Schilling he probably would rather give the money to a skin head group who promotes the baby seal hunt. I hate Curt Schilling. What I hate even more is despite the fact that I loathe the man, I do think that he will make the hall of fame. But before I get to why I think that, here are a few quick facts about him:

10. He beats up orphans just because he thinks it is fun

09. He has never met a puppy dog that he hasn't kicked

08. He is a fan of George Bush (true)

07. Shilling is responsible for the flooding in the Midwest

06. He is responsible for Abraham Lincoln's assassination

05. He is a card carrying member of NAMBLA

04. It is well documented that he clubs baby seals

03. After he retires he has expressed an interest in forming a foundation that takes from the

poor and gives to the rich

02. He thinks world hunger is funny

01. He is an asshole (true)

Ok, but seriously I do think that he makes it to Cooperstown. Sure, he doesn't have 300 wins (not even close actually) but I think that in this day and age of 5 man rotations and 6th inning relief we can kiss that number goodbye for a long time. You know what, I don't think that I can further justify writing a post about why Schilling will get in, so you will just have to go with me on this one. Either way, ding dong the dick is gone.

Another One Bites the Dust

Add Farnsworth to the pile of disabled Yankees. I swear, what is going on? I know that it is pretty typical for players to go down around this time of the year but this is simply getting out of hand. If the Yankees keep losing pitchers I am going to have to get on up there. I do have a pretty mean cutter.

Dry Spell

Yeah, I haven't posted much this week but there is a reason.....have you noticed a certain team has been on a winning streak? Well I don't want to jinx it so I am not going to talk about it. I'll be back soon.

What Should The AL do To Protect Pitcers In Inter league Play?

Wouldn't it be nice if the Yankees could go at least a full series without losing a star player? It is bad enough to lose a positional player, but to lose the one true ace we have on our rotation is really crippling.

This brings up the topic of inter league play. I have always thought that it is a great thing, particularly since I live in a National League city it is nice to see some American League teams from time to time. It is also good for the sport to have teams that have rarely played each other face off. The question though is how much of a strain does it put on the pitchers who are not used to batting and especially base running? I have always thought that it is good for AL pitchers to have a few plate appearances. I mean after all at some point in their career they have certainly been forced to hit. But Wang's sprained ankle has me second guessing that idea. The reality is that star pitchers are not only worth a lot of money, they are also worth a lot wins and are next to impossible to replace. Since inter league play isn't going anywhere in the near future American League teams need to be smart about how much they are willing to let their aces do at the plate. Sure, Wang reached base on a fielders choice bunt, but why take the chance of having him run around the bases especially in such a lopsided game?

I would argue that the the rules of pinch running be adjusted in inter league games. A pitcher should still have to bat, but could be substituted for on base without forcing the pitcher to exit the game. It simply isn't fair to American League clubs to expect them to put their pitchers in a position that they are not used to, don't train for, and risk serious injury in the process. Then again I do not think this change should apply for the World Series so perhaps I am being hypocritical.

What do you think? Leave me comments and give me your opinion on this.

One Towel Has Been Thrown

No matter what sport you follow it is always tough to keep in the game when your boys (or girls) are not doing well. I still refuse to throw in the towel for the Yankees, but the Nationals, well that is another story all together. What started out as a season full of promise for the Nats has turned out to be pretty much a disaster with only a few glimmering rays of hope. At least for the time being the Nat's aren't in last place in all the majors thanks to the MOTHER FUhttp://www.withleather.com/post.phtml?pk=5974 Mariners.

There are so many problems it is hard to know where to begin, but I guess it should be with the most obvious....the gaping hole at third base. Yes Ryan Zimmerman is down 4-6 weeks but thankfully he will not need surgery. What is sad is that he hasn't played since May 25th and yet he still leads the team in home runs (8) and RBI's (27).

And then of course there is the internal feuding, which strangely we seem to be seeing a lot more of around the league this year. I just haven't seen a player (Elijah Dukes) and a manager go at it yet this season. Perhaps Dukes has forgotten that Manny Acta chooses if he plays or not. Now don't get me wrong Elijah, your stellar .207 batting average is almost as impressive as your .646 OPS but you might want to keep on your managers good side in case for some reason he decides you are terrible. I can't imagine why he would think that though.

Pitching.....all I can really say about pitching is that it is harder to watch than Jon Rauch's player photo.

I do want to end on a good note though. I care about the Nats and I am hopeful and optimistic that eventually they will pull it together. One has to hope that Zimmerman will come around from what is turning out to be a very mediocre season this year. Flores is the real deal, Guzman is much better than anyone gives him credit for, and there is no shortage of stories about the improving farm system. The Nat's are a team on the brink, I just hope it comes sometime soon.

Hard Ball

It is hard not to read the news these days without some new news about Clemens springing up. In case you haven't heard, in addition to whatever else he was or wasn't taking to increase his vitality apparently Rocket was using Viagra to help curb the dysfunction of a sometimes flaccid arm... Really? Viagra? Who knew that it wasn't just for ED anymore? I suppose that it makes sense considering that as we now know Clemens had a very active social life to keep up. I just hope he read the warnings because it clearly says that one has to be healthy enough to engage in sports related activity. But what really made me get up and take notice though was that apparently a lot of players in the league use it too. I can only imagine that it must be awkward in the locker room. After all it is impolite to point. Still, since Viagra isn't illegal what can MLB really do? I suppose they could some how try to ban the little blue pill, but that could be harder than it looks.

~~I know this post is juvenile but I just couldn't resist

Hot and Cold

I don't mean to keep boring you all with stories of the heat in DC, but this morning was possibly the worst it has ever been. That says something considering I have lived in DC for five years. Ok maybe not quite the worst because the metro did have some air conditioning, but we were packed in there so tight I feel like I should buy dinner for that poor girl I was forced to dry hump on my way in. Metro in the summertime is clearly my purgatory for all of those frogs that my friends and I sent to their untimely deaths when I was a kid.

Ok enough of the woes of heat and humidity. I knew what I was getting myself in for when I packed my bags so I am going to stop complaining at least for a little while.

On to yesterdays game

Every kid who plays baseball dreams of being the hero of the game. Knocking in the winning run when game is on the line in the bottom of the ninth. Well yesterday Melkey Cabrera had that chance. Imagine....bottom of the ninth, down by a run with two outs and bases loaded. It was Meleky's chance to be a hero. Instead a routine ground ball, game over.

Now I don't usually get too excited when I am forced to watch the MLB gamecast from the confines of my office, but I have been known to scream a little bit when crap like that happens. In fact yesterday when Melkey choked I accidentally let an F-bomb drop just as my boss was walking by. Fortunately my boss is also a Yankees fan and just wanted to know what happened in the game.

DC In The Summer....and Quick Game Notes

Every blogger who lives in Washington DC is writing about the same thing right now....the freaking heat. In case you have never been to DC in the summer time let me break down for you what a typical summer day is like:

• Temperatures in the mid 80's to high 90's.....all day, everyday
• 100% humidity.....all day, everyday
• Every now and then it rains, but that just makes the humidity even worse
• Tourists clogging up the Metro and and hijacking the city
• Sweaty armpits from the walk to work....if only I could wear that hooters tank top I got as a joke for my last birthday to work everyday

Seriously, summer in DC is not for the timid. When I was growing up in Vermont we would brag about how cold it can get. Well I would much rather throw on an extra layer than have to literally towel off every morning I get to the office.

Game Notes

Back on subject here, Joba did much better in his second start last night. Chamberlin lasted 5 innings until the pitch count clock dinged. It is an encouraging sign. It no doubt must be tough to go out there and be effective knowing that you only have a limited number of pitches. But he seems to be settling down and finding a new groove as a starter. With Joba progressing so well it will be interesting to see if Hughes retakes his spot in the rotation or if Rasner has proved his worth.

Sorry guys but that is all I have got today, I'm still sweating from my walk here.

Milestones

First of all, congratulations to Derek Jeter who as you can see is now in third place all time for hits in Yankees franchise history. It is quite an accomplishment to be listed with the names of Mantle, Ruth, and Gehrig. Regardless people will still hate Jeter if for no other reason than he is the face of the Yankees.

I would also like to congratulate Mike Mussina who very quietly is now 9-2 and who believe it or not sits on top of the AL in wins. What a turnaround for Mussina who was such a question mark coming into the season. At 39 it is pretty amazing that he can still produce wins, although that is not to say that I am advocating resigning him after this season.

It Could Have Been Worse

Really it could have been much worse. Here are some of the positives to keep in mind about Joba's first start:

• At one point he clocked 101 mph on the radar gun
• Going into the game his pitch count was limited to 65
• Even with all the walks he kept the Jays at bay through his three innings of work

Now of course there are other things to consider. Obviously starting is a lot different that throwing a handful of pitches in the 8th inning, especially when you know Rivera is coming up behind you. As the Jay's said after the game, Joba has relied on being able to get players to chase the ball late in the game. They aren't as willing to do that early on so Joba is going to need to fine tune and perfect his location. He missed the black quite a bit last night when he was behind on the count but that isn't something that he can't work on.

Joba has gotten so used to being close to perfect it isn't surprising that early struggles are going to get into his head a little bit. Fortunately I think that the pitch limit is going to help him work through it much more gradually rather than the trial by fire that Hughes and Kennedy faced. Still, it is too early to decide whether or not Joba will be the next Ron Guidry but that wont stop me from looking for the positives.

Could You Sleep Last Night?

Mark your calenders kids, today could be a trivia question...."on what date and against what team did Joba Chamberlin face his first time in the starting rotation" or some variation thereof. Of course the answer is Toronto and the opposing pitcher will be Roy Halladay. That is assuming of course that Joba turns into the phenomenal starter that we all hope he will be, otherwise June 3, 2008 will just be known as another day.

I've checked but at least in the Capital region I don't see that the game is going to be on ESPN, MASN, or any other regular cable channel so that means I am going to have to go in search of a sports bar that has the MLB package tonight. Even though I am trying to tell myself that it isn't that big of deal the truth is that I am really excited and anxious about tonight. More to follow tomorrow.

Joba-eve

We have finally arrived at the eve of Joba Chamberlin's first start. Are you excited? Have you been a good boy or girl? I know that personally I will be going to bed the second I get home from work so that tomorrow comes even faster! Ok obviously I am kidding, sure I'm excited to see what he has got but lets not make this out to be bigger than it really is. We have already seen the disastrous results of putting too much pressure on Hughes and Kennedy and even though I that I think Joba is in a better position than the other kids, our season doesn't rest in the hands of just one starter / setup guy / closer? Regardless, tomorrow the eyes of the baseball world will be firmly on Chamberlin trying to figure out if he is the next Nolan Ryan, or if he destined for a role in relief.

Meanwhile in a borough not so far away there is a pitcher who has already proven himself. A pitcher who just picked up win number 7 on the year. A pitcher who came oh so close to being a Yankee. But hey, what is the point of having a disabled list if no one ever uses it right?

Only A Few Shopping Days Left Until Joba Day......and Nats Notes

If there is one story in baseball that you can't get away from right now it is Joba's gearing up for his first start. If you ask me it seems like every sports writer and Yankee hater alike is hoping that Joba will fail miserably. The truth is that no one knows what is going to happen next week, and one start will not be enough to make a determination on his effectiveness in the role. I do think that at this point Chamberlin is better prepared mentally to start than either Kennedy or Hughes was. Aside from his natural lights out ability he has benefited from having more opportunities to throw without the pressure of lasting six or seven innings. It just goes to show you that you can't rush a young player, pitchers especially, into roles they are not ready for. But I suppose I need to make a prediction even though all of my predictions for this year have been further off the mark than my friend Matt's tune at Karaoke. I think Joba is going to do well, but I think that Girardi sticks to the rules and only lets him go 6 innings or 75 pitches, whichever comes first. I imagine that he will give up a run or two early until the adrenaline settles down and he finds his grove, but overall I think he no doubt has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in the league. But even if he doesn't there is no love lost, I wouldn't shed a single tear if instead of being the next great starting pitcher he became the next Mariano Rivera.

Nat's Notes

In case you weren't watching, and let's face it no one was, the Nat's won last night thanks to a grand slam home run off the bat of Jesus Flores. I can't believe that it took a five million dollar flush of the toilet with Do'h Luca to finally get this guy regular playing time. Now I know that I sound like a broken record but Flores has earned the right to be the every day catcher. If not this year (thanks for nothing Paul) then certainly next year.

Kennedy to DL

I suppose this was inevitable but in case you haven't heard Kennedy left last nights game with a strained lat and will be placed on the 15 day DL. I have gone back and forth on the question of putting Joba in the rotation but now the Yankees don't have a choice unless they want to risk calling up Igawa. That just isn't a long term solution. So Joba will have an extended relief session tonight and look for him to make his first start sometime late next week. My fingers, toes, arms and legs are crossed tight.

My Kind of Town...And A Public Service Announcment if You Plan to Visit DC This Summer

For memorial day weekend I went to Chicago. I had been there once before but only for a short business trip so I had never really had the chance to look around the city. Of course since I had the opportunity I took the red line train to Wrigleyville and checked out the park. Even though the Cubs were in Pittsburgh and I didn't actually get to see a game I have to say that I was more than impressed with the iconic building. Cubs fans are going to scoff at me but I always knew that you could watch games from the buildings across the street from the park, but what I didn't know was that those buildings actually have stadium style seating built onto their roofs. Definitely a must see for anyone who even casually follows baseball. Pictures to follow tomorrow (hopefully).

In case you didn't have a chance to watch any baseball over the long weekend you missed the Yankees thoroughly embarrassing the Mariners. Certainly a much needed display of power for the bombers. I don't want to jinx anything but I think that the season may be turning a corner for the better. Whats more, Posada is starting to throw in extended spring training games and could return soon. But what really surprises me is that once again the Rays sit alone on top of the AL East with the best record in all the majors. The question will be how much endurance do they have. I doubt they can play at this level all the way through the season, but if as predicted they finish with around 85 wins they could be seeing their first postseason appearance in franchise history. Is it too much to pray that it is at the expense of the red sox instead of the Yankees?

Public Service Announcement

On a completely unrelated topic, a little public service announcement if I may. The memorial day weekend marks the beginning of the onslaught of tourists in our nations capital. I have always felt that as a resident of the District I am somewhat of an ambassador to tourist whether they be domestic or foreign. So often, and in some cases for good reason, we DCists get frustrated with slow moving, METRO-illiterate tourists. However as residents of Washington we should be willing to help them. Not only are helpful locals good for the impression of our city, but also our country. You wouldn't invite a guest over for dinner and yell at them for walking up the steps too slowly while they admire your front lawn would you? That being said, if you are planning a trip to DC this summer there are a few things to keep in mind to make our job of host easier and to lessen the possibility of an angry exchange from a local:

• I can not stress this enough, while in DC please stand to the right and walk to the left on our escalators. It doesn't matter if you are on the Metro or the Mall, if you are on an escalator and are standing on the left eventually SOMEONE WILL YELL AT YOU. And I mean it when I say yell. So do yourselves a favor and just stand to the right.
• Plan your trips into the city so that you don't hit rush hours. Trust me, when the humidity sets in you do not want to be packed onto a full train with a backpack and a stroller. And don't think you will just blend in, we can spot a wounded tourist in a heartbeat.
• Get an all day pass. Don't even bother trying to figure out how much it is going to cost to go from point A to point B just to save a buck or two. Get an all day pass which is valid AFTER 9:00 in the morning (see the avoid rush hour rule). It saves time at the kiosk too.
• Go see a Nationals Game. Take the Metro to the Green line Navy Yard stop. It isn't marked on most maps yet but trust me it is worth checking out while you are here.
• Don't take any cabs that don't have metered fares. According to DC law any cab that doesn't have a meter as of June 1, 2008 is subject to a $1,000 fine. There has been huge backlash about switching from the zone system to the meter system. Don't be the victim of an angry cabbie who refuses to follow the law and who wants to charge you whatever he wants.
• DC was built on swamp land and has ridiculous humidity in the summer. Dress appropriately and bring water, nothing annoys locals more than a tourist passed out blocking the sidewalk at rush hour.

Chamberlin to the Rotation, Girardi to the corner

In case you missed it Joe Girardi threw a fit last night over a questionable foul tip call. Whats more classic than a manager kicking dirt on an umpire? I love it, and it seemed to do the trick for the team last night too. To be honest this is just the type of intensity and fire that has been lacking from the team all season.

I'm also happy to say that even though Ian Kennedy didn't get the win, he did have a solid outing going six innings and only giving up one run. The fans even gave him a standing ovation. Way to go kid. The problem for Kennedy is that Rasner is looking great and ......are you ready.......CHAMBERLIN IS BEING MOVED INTO THE STARTING ROTATION. This could be adios for Kennedy, at least for a while assuming that Chamberlin does well. We will see.

On a side note, I would just like to wish everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend.

Rock Bottom

That's what Girardi is hoping this is anyway, but who knows given how unbelievably horrible the Yankees are right now. And Moose......didn't even last through the first inning, although I am still going to give him some breathing room . I've written a couple of posts for my buddy Abbott on how bad I feel for the O's and how if only they could designate their owner for assignment. Well I'm not going to shed any tears for Baltimore today since their talons seem to be growing bigger by the day.

This Yankees team is clearly frustrated. Last night that spilled over in the form of errors and near brawls. They just can't keep players healthy, and the ones they do have are putting up fewer runs than my 3 1/2 year old nephew. Girardi wants to take the blame but the fact of the matter is that he isn't the one swinging (or not swinging) the bats. It is so hard to watch but this team clearly is one that needs to self destruct before it is able to rise again to glory. I just wish this all wasn't happening the last year in the stadium.

I'll try to put together some Nationals Notes later on today, this is all just too depressing for me right now.

A Steep Hill to Climb, and Don't Overlook Guzman (Nats Notes)

The Yankees are now six games out of first after a disappointing set of losses to the Mets this weekend. I'm not panicking, but at this point with the rest of the division playing as well as it is the battle back into the wild card spot is going to be long and tough. Unfortunately the Sox are not going anywhere, but I do expect the Orioles and Toronto to fall from site sometime in the not too distant future. In the East that leaves the Rays who the Yankees have had trouble with this year, but lets also not disregard the fact that Cleveland is strong and that the Tigers are sure to turn it on big time sooner or later. In short I am keeping the faith, but the reality is that the chances of the Yankees missing the playoffs altogether this year are alarmingly higher than they have been in over a decade.

Nats Notes

The Nationals don't have any high profile superstars this year. In fact aside from Soriano's brief stay since the team has really never had a superstar since they relocated. Until now Zimmerman has been taking the role of DC hero, especially after his walkoff homer in the 9th to win the first game at the new stadium. Even though Zimmerman has huge potential, fans need to stop over looking the contributions of Christian Guzman. The Nats shortstop is really the only consistently productive player on the team right now. Actually Aaron Boone is doing pretty well too but since he isn't quite an every day player I'm leaving him out of this discussion. Take a look at Guzman's numbers:

Guzman

G -43 AB-188 AVG .298 OBP .321 SLG .447 OPS.768

Now compare those with Zimmerman
G-44 AB-184 AVG .245 OBP .276 SLG.424 OPS.699

Guzman is having a decent season and deserves to be acknowledged. No disrespect to Zimmerman who I am sure will improve as the season progresses, but until he does, look to short to be the one thing Nationals fan can rely on this year.

I'm Stocking Up My Bomb Shelter

There are some things that you only expect to see a few times, if ever, in your lifetime. Events that are so rare you always remember where you were when you saw them. I'm talking about things like a solar Eclipse, a meteor crashing to earth in front of your eyes, and of course....this...

Now I know that the picture quality didn't come out as well as I had hoped but your eyes are not deceiving you. The Rays are in first place and The Yankees in last. I'm happy for Tampa don't get me wrong, but in the past few days I have been talking a lot about signs of impending Armageddon and the Apocalypse and this is pretty much the third horse man right here.

The only normal thing happening so far this season is that Ian Kennedy sucked again last night. No big change there. It started out bad with a lead off home run but then it calmed down. Heck he didn't give up anything in the second, I was actually thinking he had figured some stuff out. But inevitably the floodgates were pried open and a flurry of runs came in as usual. I think Ian's only hope at this point is to hope that the end comes before he embarrasses himself again in his next start.

Now I'm off to my bomb shelter, I just hope my internet connection works down there.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree

A Steinbrenner going of the deep end has become an as much of a part of spring as Daffodils, Easter Egg Hunts, or April showers. Love him or hate him, George Steinbrenner made these annual rants one of his signature pieces of work (now whether or not it actually motivates the players is arguable) but usually its no big deal, its just Georgie being Georgie. But when sonny boy Hank Steinbrenner went off I just cringed. I suppose I had foolishly hoped that these rants would retire with big Stien, but I guess the apple truly does not fall far from the tree. But let's get off the topic of the Steinbrenners because frankly they are getting paid a lot of money to not be managing the team well.

Ian Kennedy is slated to start tonight as the Yankees play the final game of their four game series against the AL Leading Rays.* It's an understatement to say that tonight is a big night for I-Ken. Hopefully the pressure wont get to him too much. At the very least the momentum from last nights win (MOOOOOSE) should help calm the jitters a little. So Ian, get out there and make us all look stupid.

Now normally I wouldn't blog about anything Red Sox unless it involves some sort of odd virus that magically made their fans go temporally mute from April through October. But, last night I have to say that Manny's Willie Mays-Hayes-esq play was pretty impressive. In case you didn't see it, Ramierez made a running catch, jumped up into the stands and high fived a fan, and then still made the play at second. I can only imagine that Terry Francona in his best Lou Brown impression said "Nice catch, (Manny). Don't ever fuckin' do it again." In the end the giant Talons of the Orioles proved to be too much for the Red Sox who blew a three nothing lead. Ok, I guess this little walk on the dark side does have a happy ending.

Nats Notes

Nats 5 Mets 3

Ryan Zimmerman upped his average to .240 last night in part thanks to a long home run that may have hit the capital dome. Jesus Flores hit a tie breaking single in the 7th. I continue to argue that Flores is on the verge of being an incredible catcher and should very soon be an every day starter for the Nationals. I just hope they don't do something stupid like trade him.

The Nats are still far behind the pack and will be for some time, but if the Rays can do it, so can the Nats. Maybe not this year, but their time will come soon enough.




*Many thanks to the Washington Express who quoted yesterdays post in the blog log today. This is the second time that it has happened and each time I get so excited I want to tap the person sitting next to me on the metro and say, hey look, this is me. You have to actually download today's print edition to see the quote, but if you do it is on page 36.

It's May 14th and.....

The Rays are in first place in the AL East. In short, I am speechless.

Devil Be Gone

In what is surely another sign of global warming, the slowing economy, and Armageddon, The Rays are now six games over .500 after laying down the hammer on the Yankees 7-1 last night. It begs the question, what else could we improve by simply removing the word "Devil" from its name? Would Devil's Food Cake suddenly become a healthier alternative to soy milk? Would deviled eggs and Deviled ham suddenly taste good? Who knows, but the way that the Ray's have been able to improve this year is astounding, especially when you consider the schedule that they are playing.

Speaking of schedules and the Rays, Ian Kennedy has been recalled from Scranton after only 1 outing (and one inning this past Monday) in Scranton. Kennedy will start in the place of Igawa in the series finale versus the Ray's this Thursday. Conventional wisdom would suggest that this is a terrible idea and that the kid needs much more time to get his ducks in a row. But the truth is, what other option do the Yankees have? I suppose they could go to a four man rotation but it is too early in the season for that and you risk overworking the guys who are actually being productive. So, I guess I support the move albeit with reservations.

Nationals Notes

Nats 10 - Mets 4

This can't be right can it? The Nats really beat up on the Mets that badly? Well somehow, finally, the Nats were able to get hits with runners in scoring position. Although it seems like some bad blood may be a-brewing between these two clubs:

After getting the third out of the third inning, Figueroa turned toward the
Nationals dugout and made a mock clapping gesture into his glove in response to
what he perceived was the Washington bench's rhythmic clapping for his walk and
error during the inning.
Figueroa was not happy afterward.
"They were
cheering in the dugout like a bunch of softball girls," he said. "I am a
professional, I take great offense to that. ... They won tonight, but in the
long run, look who they are, a last-place team."
Milledge defended his
teammates: "We didn't try to rattle him. We're trying to get our guys going."

You know what, maybe a good bench clearing brawl wouldn't be a bad thing to get the Nats motivated. Just keep the elderly clear of Pedro Martinez when you do it.

Days of Agony

DAVID WELLS?!?!?!? Are You kidding me????? Sorry, maybe I should back up a little bit. In case you haven't heard yet, rumor has it that David "Jack and Coke" Wells is interested in playing another season for New York. Hank Steinbrenner apparently hasn't ruled it out. I'm shaking my head as I write this. Perhaps he has forgotten that Wells is notorious for not staying in playing condition. He may have handled it ok when he was in his 20's and 30's, but the guy is 45 years old now. Not to mention....DOESN'T STEINBRENNER REMEMBER GAME 5 OF THE 2003 WORLD SERIES WHEN WELLS LEFT AFTER HARDLY AN INNING OF WORK!!?? Sorry, but that memory is simply unforgivable. I suppose Well's is basing his comeback on the idea that a six pack a day keeps the back pain away.

Let me put it this way, signing Clemens last year was a bad mistake in a desperate time. The Yankees are not quite as desperate this year but even if they were, signing Wells would be of a scale similar to that of the Hindenburg disaster. So David, please, we all know that you have been a Yankees fan, or at least a Babe Ruth fan your entire life. Heck, I even thought it was cool that you would sometimes wear Babe's hat when you pitched....but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't even try this. If you need the money just let us know and we will start a "Keep Wells Where He Is" charity.

Speaking of mistakes let's talk briefly about Kei Igawa. Spending 40 million on a guy who has no business in the majors is a good investment right? Geez, we couldn't even give this guy to San Diego last year. You know it's bad when your team is praying for rain so that they can skip your start. Igawa just isn't ready for prime time, and in my opinion never will be.

Injury update

A-Rod appears to be doing well in his recovery. Not a moment too soon considering Wilson Betemit left Saturday's game in the fourth inning with a strained right hamstring. Betemit will join what seems like the rest of the Yankees 40 man roster on the 15 day DL. Nothing much on Posada yet, but he did take some swings the other day. I suppose that is encouraging, although it isn't his hitting that was the problem, it was his throwing.

Not Much I can Say Today and Nationals Notes

As a sports blogger it can get pretty difficult trying to think up ways to spin things when your teams keep losing. I'm pretty confident that the Yankees will still be able to pull a 30 game winning streak out of the bag at some point this season (ok, let's just shoot for a 10 game streak) but until that starts to happen here I sit suffering through my morning ritual of box scores, recaps, and lately.....injury reports. (sigh) Let's just move onto Nationals Notes, at least I can spin that one a little bit better.

Nationals Notes

Ryan Zimmerman blasted two home runs against Houston last night, but that still wasn't enough as the Astros won thier 5th straight 4-3 over the Nats. It's frustrating to see the Nat's losing games by just a run, but at least Zimmerman is starting to get hits again (see how I spinned that there) Now if only they could cut out all the Bush League errors.

In other news Matt Chico has been demoted to the bullpen. I suppose it was only a matter of time considering his 0-5 record. Then again with the Nationals record what it is right now there are very few pitchers in the Nationals rotation who fare much better.

End of Days

Yes it is true, Joba Chamberlin cost the Yankees a win last night against Cleveland. Is time to panic? Give me a break. Anyone who seriously thinks that this wasn't bound to happen sooner or later, or that Chamberlin has lost it clearly doesn't have thier head screwed on tight. No pitcher can win all the time and EVERY pitcher gives up home runs now and then. The only difference in Joba's situation is that it hasn't happened to him much.....yet. Not to mention the even more intense spotlight he is under thanks to the the struggles of the other two youngsters. I'm just glad it happened before Joba's inevitable move into the starting rotation. If this had happened with Joba as a starter people would be heading for bomb shelters right now equating it with a sure sign of Armageddon. It isn't, so put away the "Repent" signs, the end is not near, this is just baseball....it happens.

Speaking of youngsters Ian Kennedy had a good start in AAA Scranton last night going 7 innings, giving up one hit, and striking out 8. He even had a no hitter going into the 5th inning. That's good to see because clearly it means that Kennedy still has his stuff, he just needs to work on being under the spotlight. I'm also glad that he is committed to getting called back up and he isn't just hanging his head wallowing is self pity. Still, it remains to be seen if he can ever be a true ace. Most scouts put him as a four or five starter at his best. After what we have seen so far that seems to be holding true but hey, you never know. Kennedy may not throw high heat, but if he could develop a good knuckleball* he could be right back on top.



*It amazes me that there are so few guys throwing knuckleballs

Schilling To Throw After He Kills Off The Polar Bears

~~It's no secret how much I hate Curt Schilling. So since both the Yankees and the Nats were off last night enjoy this satirical ESPN article. If you want to read the original story here is the link.




Red Sox's Jerk ready to test shoulder, will throw Tuesday


Was rehab the right route for Curt Schilling? It looks like the Boston Red Sox are about to find out.


The Asshole himself


The 41-year-old terrorist, who is the 60-day disabled list with a limp wrist, will throw for the first time this season on Tuesday.


"There's a burning down a Red Cross aid station feeling to it," Schilling told the Boston Herald. "Considering where I was four months ago and what the options were ... I guess if I was robbing girl scouts, this would be the pretending to be the crossing guard part."
Osama Bin Schilling is scheduled to throw 25 pitches from 60 feet. If that goes well, he will begin a regular throwing program.


"Now that the baby seal hunt in Canada is over he's got himself to the point where he's excited he's getting to do it," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "It's another step."


Early in spring training, Schilling's course of treatment became a sort of melodrama.


Schilling said he would have preferred a colonoscopy, but the team insisted he try rehab. The right-hander said he had a career ending injury which he kept a secret when he agreed to an $8 million, one-year contract with the Red Sox in November.


Red Sox team physician Dr. Thomas Gill recommended a suture for Schillings ever expanding asshole. Schilling sought a second opinion from Dr. Craig Morgan, a veterinarian, who operated on Schilling in 1995 and 1999. Morgan felt strongly that a colonoscopy was best and that rehabilitation would fail -- and potentially, hopefully, end Schilling's career.


A third doctor, New York Mets team physician Dr. David Altchek, said Schilling is a dick.


The club and the pitcher had originally hoped he could be back around the All-Star break. Now, it's uncertain when he might return, but at least Tuesday's a start.


"It's tough to come back after spending so much time at the north pole with a hair dryer melting the ice pack in order to speed up the extinction of Polar bears," Schilling told the Herald. "We're finding the way I work in tests and everything that after the recovery day I'm immensely better. There's a very short window but there are tangible results.


"It's been a long couple of months, but every time you see a polar bear drown its worth it."
If he returns, it would be the 21st season of a career that's included....blah blah blah blah.

Adios Ian....Woah There Joba

It was only a matter of time before Ian Kennedy was given a bus ticket back to AAA and Darrell Rasner was sent to the head of the class. I feel bad for the kid considering how well he threw at the end of last season and how much promise he still has. But numbers are numbers and you can't stay in the show with an 8.37 era. The short and simple of it is that Kennedy has been losing games for us. A game here and there is understandable, but to lose every time you start is simply unacceptable. His trip to Scranton should help him figure a few things out. If it doesn't hopefully we can get him looking like the top prospect he used to be so that we can at least pawn him off for someone else. Regardless, I have come to the decision that it is NOT time to move Joba up into the rotation, at least until maybe after the all star break.

It just goes to show you how difficult pitching in the Majors really is. I've tried unsuccessfully to to figure out the percentage of minor league pitchers who end up in the big leagues, and of those, the percentage who have a respectable era and winning record. I don't know the number but I would be willing to be that it is around 8%. That's pretty darn low considering any kid who even gets drafted into the minors has some potential and most likely can throw at least 90 mph. That's not even to mention the physical toll that pitching takes on the body. There is a reason why fast ball velocity has not changed much in the past century. These guys are throwing the ball at the absolute limits of human ability. When a pitcher throws 100 mph fastball his tendons literally come off from his elbow.

So why not try out Joba in the rotation now? Even if he isn't great as a starter he could still be put back into his roll as a set up artist right? Well yes and no. As we have seen with both Kennedy and Hughes, rushing a young pitcher into the rotation with somewhat unreasonable expectations takes not only a physical toll, but a mental one as well. I think that both Hughes and Kennedy caved to that mental pressure and it had an effect on their ability to control the ball, win games, and in the case of Hughes may have ultimately led to him ignoring his injuries until they got even worse. It is nothing new. Almost all young players go through it at first, but few rookies in that situation are being asked to be a starting pitcher for a Yankees organization suffering through such extreme growing pains. Chamberlin is not exempt from any of those same spotlight issues. Whenever it finally does happen Joba is going to be under more pressure to preform than any young pitcher in recent history. And Talk about un realistic expectations, there is no way that Chamberlin will be able to make it through 7, 8, 9 innings the way he makes it through 1 or 2 as a set up man. He is going to start to give up some runs, even home runs, and that inevitably will make people wonder if he is really the iron man we all thought he was. In my opinion he is that iron man which is why there is no reason to rush it. The more time he has on the mound the better prepared he and the fans will be on the days where he just doesn't have it. Not to mention the fact that the Yankees need him to work on his other pitchers and let him get comfortable with them again. You can't win consistently against teams like Boston and Detroit with only one pitch.

Loving Honesty, and Nationals Notes

Dear Ian,

Hey buddy, how have you been? How's the new wife, the house, the dog? I would ask you about your job but look Ian, I have seen you pitch this season and I am afraid it is time for a session of loving honesty. You just are not ready for the show yet. I know it's been kind of tough living under the shadow of your buddy Joba, but you need to worry about you. I didn't want to bring this up but the truth is that you are hear and Santana isn't, that means you have a lot to prove. So next week when Cashman asks you to head to Scranton do it with your head up. There is no shame in being sent back to the minors, just make sure you use that time to fine tune everything. Don't get so worked up about the demotion that you lose your ambition. Remember Ian, being a Yankee is a privilege you have to earn.

Your Buddy,
Bruce

Nationals Notes

Manny Acta's man crush on Austin Kearns surprises a lot of people, including me. Sure, he is hard working and he has a ton of potential, but a .194 batting average (even after last night) is still south of the Mendoza line. Well finally for one day Austin gets to have his day in the sun, and Acta gets to pat him on the ass for a legitimate reason. Last night Austin broke a tie with a two out RBI single in the eighth inning putting the Nat's up 3-2 for their fourth consecutive win.

When you think about it the Nationals record really isn't that surprising, nor is it surprising that they are starting to rally now. If you look back at the schedule they have played through April you will see that the have ONLY matched up against the best teams in the National League. Finally they are going to be facing off with teams they can beat. Three more against Pittsburgh and then off to Houston before the Marlins come back next weekend. This is the time they need to win a lot of games, if anything just to build momentum. Hitting is contagious and if just one of these guys really starts to break out I guarantee others will follow.

Entire Scranton AAA Team To Replace Yankees, More Rocket Romance,

This is starting to sound like an Onion article, but for God Sake now Phil Hughes is packing his bags for the DL thanks to a strained oblique. By the end of the week the only person left on the team will be Joba Chamberlin. No doubt Steinbrenner will want Joba to play every position, including pitching to himself. At least the Nationals won last night in the 12th inning. They are now officially on a winning streak.



Rocket Romance



Yet another of Roger's affairs has surfaced. According to the The New York Daily News Rocket had a relationship with Paulette Dean Daly, a former wife of champion golfer John Daly. You may be wondering who will be next on Roger's hit parade. Well we here at 567 Miles From Home are going to take all the guess work out of you and break the story first....here we go with a list of Rogers other flings:






Miley Cyrus

Always a fan of Hannah Montana Clemens nearly lost it when he found out that Cyrus is 15 years old. Reportedly, Clemens was spotted earlier this year escorting the teen star to the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice awards. Clemens claims the two are just friends, but close ups of Cyrus' neck show what appear to be K shaped hickeys.

Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K)

Former Red Sox teammates claim that Clemens took a fancy to Coach K in the late 80's after Clemens openly fantasied about having a child with K in his first AND last name. While Krzyzewski has not commented on the affair, a spokesperson from Duke University released a statement saying that the two remain close friends but that the relationship was completely appropriate.





Ashley Alexandra Dupre




The New York Post is reporting that after the story broke about Elliot Spitzer's call girl, New York Post employees received numerous phone calls requesting Dupre's telephone number from the same person. "It was ridiculous" said one Post employee, "we kept getting these phone calls from a man with what was obviously a fake Asian accent asking for Dupre's home phone number. When we finally traced the calls back to Clemens house I said Roger, I know this is you, and then the phone suddenly went dead."

A-Rod to the DL, Hughes to AAA (?), and Nationals Notes

Admittedly, we Yankees fans tend to go into panic if we lose a few games more than we think we should, or whenever we get off to a slow start. Usually that anxious dread is smoothed over by a ten game winning streak, or by one of our all stars having a career month. That's the norm, this is the reality. Yankees veterans are dropping like flies. Now A-Rod is set to join Posada on the DL with a strained hamstring* and Burney may need foot surgery. But this year is the year of Yankees pitching right? RIGHT. Our young pitchers are crapping the bed faster than my buddy Matt after a night of heavy drinking. It is still far too early to chalk up the season as a total disaster, but it is going to be a long long struggle for anyone who follows the bombers.

I have been arguing for the past couple of weeks that Hughes isn't in as much hot water as he should be. Well that has certainly changed after he lost his 4th game of the season lasting only into the third.

"I think it's fair to discuss it," general manager Brian Cashman said of the prospect of temporarily removing Hughes from the Yankees rotation. "So we'll discuss it."

Yikes Phil. That Santana trade is starting to look more and more like a broken glass slipper. I think ultimately Hughes gets at least two more starts before any decision is made. Let's face it, we are looking at the prospect of needing to replace two of our starters (Hughes and Kennedy). That frees up space for Chamberlin, but he is not a guarantee as a starter and plus he will need time to adjust. Which leaves a lot of questions about a rotation that was suppose to be a slam dunk. Can Hughes find his groove again or does he need a trip to AAA? Does Kennedy have a groove? Not to mention that Pettitte's back is known to flair up from time to time and requires him to miss a start here and there. Per my decision yesterday I am letting Moose off the hook for right now, but we all know that could change in an inning too. This wasn't suppose to happen. Hughes and Kennedy were suppose to come out of the corner swinging. Hell, Phil almost had a no hitter last season!

Nationals Notes

Wouldn't you know it, the day after I reluctantly stick Zimmerman on my fantasy league bench he breaks his slump. Zimmer had three hits last night, one of which was a solo home run. Suddenly the Nats are swinging and winning again. Although two wins in a row hardly qualifies as a winning streak, could this FINALLY be the corner the Nationals needed to turn to start playing the way I thought they would play? I'm not going to jump out of my seat just yet but it does look promising for the short term at least. It is going to be tough in the long haul though since the loving truth is that pitching continues to be a problem for Washington, especially now that Chad Cordero is headed back to the DL. The only way the Nats are going to have a prayer this year is through lots and lots of offense because the way their rotation looks right now they are going to need insurance runs in just about every game.



*This is A-Rod's 5th trip to the DL in his career. In 1997 he was sidlined with a "bruised chest." Given A-Rod's history I can only speculate that is code for broken heart.