Designated Hitter

The last 9 games the Yankees have played have been Interleague games as are the next 6. The only difference between the National League and American League (that I know of) is that since 1973 the American League has a designated hitter and the National League does not. Fans of the National League say this is why the National League is better then the American League. They do not have pansy pitchers that don’t bat and the managers have to develop a line-up without the benefit of a DH.

During Interleague Play the designated hitter rule is used in all American League ballparks, but is not used in National League stadiums, this of course is the reason the National League has won 1,732 Interleague games and the American League has only won 1,894 Interleague games. Just look what happened when the Yankees played the Cubs on June 17th. They lost to the Cubs 1-3 and when they played the Reds in Cincinnati on June 22 they also lost 2-10. Apparently when American League pitchers get to a National League park they freeze with terror at the thought of batting and the managers curl up in the dugout and their heads explode when they try to work the lineup around having the pitcher bat and who to pinch hit. Um no, not really, the Yankees won the series against the Cubs, Reds and Rockies. The Rockies came to Yankee Stadium, they left as pebbles. Even with a D.H.

What really burns me up about National League fans though, is some say that American League pitchers don’t play. Excuse me? Most starting pitchers throw the ball 100 times in a game, and they have to throw it over home plate in the strike zone. Home plate is 17″ wide and

The Strike Zone is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the bottom of the knees. The Strike Zone shall be determined from the batter’s stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.

Not only that, they have to throw it in the strikezone in a spot where the hitter either can’t hit it or can’t hit it out of the park. Not only that but he has to, at times, cover first base, third base and home plate. A shortstop on the other hand, has to field pop-ups and ground balls and then usually throw them to the second or first baseman. He might have to cover second base, and while he does have to throw the ball with accuracy, it doesn’t have to be pinpoint accuracy and he doesn’t throw the ball 100 times a game. But because he takes his turn batting every 9th man, he is really playing baseball, and the pitcher isn’t? Give me a break.

And while we’re at it, lets take a look at the National League pitchers batting stats. Since they are so good at it.

Doug Davis, Chi Cubs: 410 AB; 12 R; 34 H; 0 HR; 13 RBI; .083 AVG
Mike Leake, Cincinnati Reds: 76 AB; 9 R; 23 H; 0 HR; 4 RBI; .303 AVG
Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds: 161 AB; 12 R; 15 H; 0 HR; 4 RBI; .093 AVG
Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies: 252 AB; 12 R; 28 H; 0 HR; 8 RBI; .111 AVG

So there you have it, 4 National League pitchers, 3 of which have batting averages lower then my weight. I know this is a small sample size, but I’m pretty sure you will find this is the case among most teams in the National League. The pitchers are mainly throwing down bunts to advance runners or get on base. Another thing is, two of these pitchers were the losing pitchers against the Yankees, and two were the winning pitchers.

~~ Questo è tutto, dice la principessa ~~ 😛

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It was time ~ Sunday, June 19, 2011

Time for what you say? Time for the Yankees to hit a home run at Wrigley field. This was posted on Twitter,

@BryanHoch RT @YankeesWFAN: Last Yankee to hit a home run at Wrigley Field–Robin Ventura.

If this is right, that was in 2002/03, since that was the only time he played for the Yankees. Of course, I think that is the last time the Yankees played at Wrigley Field. The announcers kept talking about Alex’s home runs and that he had NEVER hit a home run at Wrigley (he still hasn’t by the way), he’s played maybe three games at Wrigley, before this series.

Since I had no idea who Robin Ventura was I went on MLB and did a search, he played for the White Sox from 1989 to 1998, Mets from 1999 to 2001, Yankees in 2002 and then with the Yankees and Dodgers for 2003. While I was searching for his stats, I found this video, and since I absolutely love Nolan Ryan (cough cough), I had to post the link. It is an epic clip.

Ventura challenges Ryan

~~ Yankees 10, Cubs 4 ~~

Gardner was the lead off hitter and his first at bat he hit a home run. Just boom, into the stands. Then the Cubs tied it up, in the 3rd the Cubs hit CC hard and got 3 runs off him, by the sixth inning the Yankees had managed to tie the game, CC was holding the Cubs to four runs. Then in the 8th inning, with 2 men on base, Swisher came up to bat. His dad played for the Cubs, and BOOM went the baseball. Swisher doesn’t usually show off, but he just dropped his bat dramatically before he started around the bases. We were up by 3 now, in the ninth inning Mariano started tossing the ball around. This was after he made a little kid a fan for life. He went over to the wall and was talking to him, signed a baseball, shook his dad and his hand. The kid was just beaming after.

Then in the ninth Yankees added three more runs. One of them was a long fly ball that just missed being a home run, except it didn’t go out, it fell right in front of the wall and rolled into the ivy, and the two fielders were standing there looking at it. I was laughing. I laughed harder when a ball bounced off Ramiro Pena’s chest and Nunez picked it up and threw it in the dirt. Cano was standing there giving him a WTF? look.

So no Mariano, but as someone said, we only get to humiliate the Cubs every six years or so. Marquez came in for the ninth inning. Missed a catch at first base, but that was his only bobble. In fact, I think the next batter hit into a double play. Maybe not.

Whatever, CC gets the win, Yankees win the series.

~~ Questo è tutto, dice la principessa ~~ 😛

A little bit of run support ~ Saturday, June 18, 2011

~~ Yankees 4, Cubs 3 ~~

Just fooling around with the logo from the MLB site, don’t tell them.

So A.J. got a little bit of run support, this time it was enough. My buddy Russell stole a base, Nunez made another error, #8 for the year. Gardner threw the ball into home from left field and Russell tagged the runner out, even though the runner ran into him and knocked him down. Russell got up and showed him the ball. It was one of the three double plays the Yankees turned.

Ballgame over, Yankees win.

~~ Questo è tutto, dice la principessa ~~ 😛

Missing, Yankee bats ~ Friday, June 17, 2011

~~ Cubs 3, Yankees 1 ~~

Sometimes day games are rough, because I can’t watch them. Sometimes I don’t mind that I don’t get to see them. Today all I missed was seeing the Yankees NOT hit the ball. Freddy Garcia giving up 3 runs early and settling down, but the Yankees didn’t score any runs until the 8th and it was only one.

Disappointing game. Against the Cubbies.

Yanks, Garcia topped in Wrigley opener

~~ Questo è tutto, dice la principessa ~~ 😛