Disappointment

They were so close, I was so excited. But it was not to be, I had to put away my broom for another series.

~~ D-backs 6, Yankees 2 ~~

Phil “Homerun” Hughes was on the mound today as the Yankees went for the sweep. It was not to be. To be fair, Phil actually pitched rather well only giving up two home runs and they were both single shots. The rest of the runs were given up by Phelps in the 12th inning. After the 4 runs the D-backs got the Yankees couldn’t come back to score.

In other news, Derek Jeter has had a setback, a cat scan showed another break in the location of the original break. His new expected date back is after the All-Star break. So more games with Nunez at short stop. He has also been playing very well there, no errors (well until tonight) so far. Since the Yankees have kept him at one position he has been doing better. We no longer hold our breath when the ball is hit to him. So he and Nix are sort of sharing SS duties.

Count my co-worker as another person who ‘never thought he would be rooting for Kevin Youkilis’. I have no problem rooting for him, in fact I kind of thank Mo for him. He can hit, he can take pitches, he can play 3rd and he can play 1st. He is the perfect man.

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

Game 14
Yankees 8-6 (0.571)

Still don’t know why they call him Pronk

C.C. was back on the mound today, gave up two runs in the first inning and immediately everyone lost their minds! Except for me I was doing laundry.

~~ Yankees 4, D-backs 3 ~~

After seeing Sarah off on the train, I planned to come home and do laundry, then watch the game in the evening. Instead I took a nap, I felt really good after, but I still had laundry to do. I come home to the Diamondbacks with a lead. Then in the seventh inning the lead started to unravel, with the bases loaded, their pitcher, Wade Miley, walked Jayson Nix which brought in Ben Francisco. It was either his pitch count or the fact that he walked Nix on 5 pitches that prompted the manager to replace him. The next pitcher had to face Brett Gardner, who brought in the next two runners tying the game at 3.

Then in the bottom of the eighth inning Travis Hafner pitch hit for Francisco and he slammed it over the fence. This prompted the D-Backs announcer to say they got ‘pronked’, and I still don’t know what that means or why he’s called that.

That’s all except for, Kevin Youkilis got hit by pitch, go figure.

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

Game 13
Yankees 8-5 (0.615)

Historic plays

After two rained out games, to be played at a date yet to be determined Yankees are playing baseball. This was a mad crazy game. First I was angry and freaking out, then I was freaking out happy, then I was freaking out, and I can’t really describe my emotions.

~~ Yankees 5, Orioles 2 ~~

With score 2-1 Yankees, in the seventh inning the first base umpire called a balk on C.C. This lead to my first freak out, which lead to online outrage which included me posting pictures of Stevie Wonder and stating he was the umpire in the game. This call, which was clearly WRONG, moved Matt Wieters into scoring position. Gameday says: On-field Delay, this was everyone going up to the umpire and telling him, you’re wrong man! C.C. did not move, so how could that be a balk? Now that Wieters was in scoring position, he scored. Now the score was tied and I was pissed.

The next inning with the bases loaded Vernon Wells hits a long fly ball and Adam Jones runs back to catch it, like he always does, he always catches the ball, it wasn’t going over the wall so no runs, except he dropped it Franky, Youkilis and Pronk (don’t ask me where Hafner got that nickname, I didn’t give it to him) score, as I’m yelling at my TV, “YEAH JONES! KARMA IS A BITCH!” No idea why I said that. And that is all she wrote.

Or is it? This is baseball, there is no fat lady but one team has to get 27 outs and the game doesn’t end till then. So in the top of the eighth when Manny Machado hits into a 4-6-5-6-5-3-4 triple play. That doesn’t quite describe it, the description in Gameday doesn’t describe it:

Manny Machado grounds into a triple play, second baseman Robinson Cano to shortstop Jayson Nix to third baseman Kevin Youkilis to first baseman Lyle Overbay to second baseman Robinson Cano. Alexi Casilla out at 3rd. Nick Markakis out at 2nd. Manny Machado out at 2nd.

Even the recap which goes into detail doesn’t truly describe it. It doesn’t catch the “Why” from the fans watching, the “Huh” as Youkilis throws across the diamond to Overbay and it certainly doesn’t convey the wonder and excitement of the moment. There was no mention of me jumping up and down and punching my pillow. Oh and the screaming and laughing. There was a bunch of that. And no this could not happen with any other team because no other team has Robinson Cano. Cano told Nix to throw to third and when Overbay threw to Cano he thought he had screwed up, that there was no way Robbie could catch it. But Robbie is the best second baseman in the MLB, maybe in the history of the game! Ahem. He caught it in time to tag out the runner. The Yankees ran off the field jumping and laughing like little boys.

Mariano comes in to end the game. Shuts the door they say, what door? What do they mean by that? And now this is all she wrote.

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

Game 9
Yankees 5-4 (0.556)

Yankees win, Adam Jones learns Karma is a bitch, first base umpire needs a seeing-eye-dog and Mariano is still the G.O.A.T.

— ♦B Foxx ❤⚾❤ (@UES_Bella) April 13, 2013

Game 2 in Cleveland

Rather sad in a way, how the Indians kind of didn’t show up for this game. Indian fever only lasts for 24 hours.

~~ Yankees 14, Indians 1 ~~

Andy Pettitte was dominant again and this game the bats really woke up. Everyone who said Cashman was making desperate purchases or was either taking too many pain pills or fell on his head can go eat their words.

First lets talk about Pettitte, his line: 7IP, 5H, 1ER, 3BB, 3K’s and 1HR. His ERA is still pretty minuscule, 1.20. He gave up the only run in the game a home run to Cabrera.

On the offense side, Cano was back at it hitting 2 for 4 with 5 RBI. 2 of those RBI were the result of a home run in the 4th off Carrasco. Ichiro also hit a home run off Carrasco who only lasted 3 2/3 inning, being thrown out in the 4th after Youkilis got hit by pitch. It was rather weird, the umpire tossed the ball back and threw the pitcher out, the pitcher who came in, Brett Myers, is a starting pitcher and was scheduled to start tomorrow. His next at bat Youkilis hit a 2-run home run, he has also hit safely in every game this season. Also hitting home runs were Overbay and Boesch. Home runs accounted for 8 of the 14 runs.

The three new guys, Hafner, Wells and Youkilis have so far this season hit 6 home runs, got 16 RBI and have a combined batting average of .360, yes that is a ‘small sample size’, still it shows what I have been saying all along, the Yankees can turn it around. They are now a .500 team and in second place. They win tomorrow they will have won the series and then can relax a bit. Except I don’t want them too. Let’s face it. Winning is fun.

In other news the Yankees have re-signed Clay Rapada, part of me says “WHY?” Yankees want another lefty in the pen. Ugh, O.K.

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

Game 8
Yankees 4-4 (0.500)

Robinson Cano and his sweet swing

The Indians home opener ended pretty much the same way as the Yankees home opener. With a loss for the home team. It was also a reunion of Nick Swisher, former Yankee with his old team, and Travis Hafner with his old team and fan base, Kevin Youkilis with Terry Francona.

~~ Yankees 11, Indians 6 ~~

Travis Hafner got some welcome home chants, then he hit a homerun, then the boos rained down. He said he kind of expected it because the fans in Cleveland are passionate. You could see that by how packed the stadium was. Both pitchers gave up 3 runs in the first inning. Kuroda however settled down and didn’t let anybody else score. Ubaldo Jimenez did not do so well. Of course Kuroda didn’t have to pitch to Robinson Cano.

Robinson Cano was hitting to the left and right, both ways, over the wall. Bringing awareness to the Indians and the people of Cleveland.

The game almost came apart in the 8th and 9th innings. Shawn Kelley gave up 3 runs and in the ninth, Joba came in and walked two. I was freaking, I told Kasey to talk to Joba, walks are going to be the death of me!

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

Game 7
Yankees 3-4 (0.429)

Please don’t hit our batters

The Yankees fall to the Tigers but all I can think of is “You hit NUNEZ! You jerk.” Time to make a Doug Fister doll. I’ll then have a set, Doug Fister and Prince Fielder. Vindictive, ME?

~~ Tigers 8, Yankees 3 ~~

Now is not the time to panic, I don’t want to hear people saying how the Yankees have ‘lost it’, it’s the 4th game of the season, lots more baseball to play, small sample sizes work both way. Time to be a true fan and have faith in your team. That is all.

Ivan Nova was not sharp this game, he didn’t even last 5 innings, then Boone Logan comes in and gives up a home run. The first of three, yes I am feverishly making a Prince Fielder doll. I don’t know why I haven’t before this, a mistake on my part. Kevin Youkilis got the only homerun for the Yankees bringing in the only runs the Yankees got. Nunez got plunked and now is day to day. David Robertson was perfect.

I’m not trying to sound like a whiney fan here, but the Yankees played a night game in the Bronx then a day game in Detroit, I’m not going to use it as an excuse because I know the Yankees aren’t, but seriously, who makes up these schedules.

Today Phil comes off the D.L. and makes the start for NY, that means Phelps goes to the pen. I don’t have a problem with that, it means he’s available if Phil implodes and starts giving up home runs.

Game 4
Yankees 1-3 (0.250)

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

Opening Day

Next Monday is Opening Day. I don’t know if I have ever been this excited for a Monday. I will be in the Bronx at the game if I have to beg for food for a month, if I have to sell a kidney, if I have to sell my best friend’s kidney, by now you should get the picture. I have been waiting for this day since the last out of the World Series.

During the off-season, I tried to amuse myself. I started watching football. Most of my life (sports fan life that is) I’ve been a Bills fan. Last year and this year I have been following the Ravens. They have purple uniforms. They made it to the playoffs, but no one expected them to make it to the SuperBowl. I bought a red and black wig to wear to a Super Bowl party and cheer the 49ers on to victory over the Patriots. I guess Tom Brady is not as good a quarterback as he thinks he is because the Ravens beat the Patriots. Which was after they beat Payton Manning which they also weren’t supposed to do. So I ended up wearing purple and black and the red and black wig is still unworn. I will find an occasion to wear it.

Hockey has also become a minor obsession with me. Last year I thought I would follow the Islanders, but interacting with Islander fans proved to be problematic. First were the questions: You don’t live on Long Island, why do you want to be an Islander fan? I could understand that question coming from a Rangers or Devils fan, but this was from Islander fans, like they didn’t want me to become an Islander fan until I moved to the Island. Then I stated on the Islander’s game chat that Kevin Poulin was cute. Hmmmm dead silence (well he IS). Then I made the ultimate mistake, I said that J.T. looked hot in the cool black jerseys, only to be told that the black jerseys are hideous (they’re not, they’re cool and J.T. is hot even if he’s not wearing …. never mind). Thoroughly pissed off I started looking around for another hockey team to follow, it was suggested that since I am from Buffalo, I should follow the Sabres. So I am, and the Sabres suck, they’re as bad as the Islanders and as bad as the Bills are, but they are my team. Even though right now I’d like to shoot all the players off into outer space. Just don’t expect any profound hockey analysis.

But baseball, baseball is back, or will be soon. Jumping up and down and yelling at my TV will commence within days. Before you ask, yes I WILL be rooting for Youkilis, he’s a Yankee, as soon as a player puts on the pinstripes he is one of my boys and I support him. Doesn’t matter what team he comes from or how much I hated him as a Red Sox, I’m rooting for him now.

Right now is spring training which doesn’t count, and boy am I glad it doesn’t count since the Yankees are in last place. Oh and they are dropping like flies, it seems like every day someone is injured. First game of spring training, Curtis Granderson gets hit on the arm and his bone is fractured. Then Teixeira goes out with a sprained wrist. Derek Jeter has swelling in his ankle, Phil Hughes is out with back issues, today Boone Logan got hit with a line drive in his “fat”, translation butt-cheek, and A-Rod is better known these days and A-WHO? As in, when was the last time we saw him, or for that matter anything was written about him? They should change their name from the NY Yankees, to the NY Walking Wounded, but Mo is back and he says they will find a way to get it done. If not, I will be putting these to good use and might actually see the bottom of my Jameson’s bottle.

Beat the Mets, Yankees beat the Mets

~~ Yankees 9, Mets 3~~

In yesterday’s post I forgot something, not really surprising, I tend to forget something every time, usually I remember too long after to mention and then I get annoyed. Jose Reyes got booed every time he came up to bat. Booing loud enough to drown out the cheers from the Mets fans. Today when I mentioned it to Kasey, she said there is usually one evil player on each team. Jose Reyes on the Mets, Jose Bautista on the Blue Jays, Josh Beckett or Ellsbury or Adrian Gonzalez or Jed Lowrie or Dustin Pedroia or Youkilis of the RedSox, most of those guys cause they are ugly.

So the Mets were ahead until the 7^th inning, they were probably already chilling the champagne for the celebration, wait, this isn’t the World Series! Then as David Cone said, “They had all zeros, till the seventh inning and now the Yankees have a snow cone (8). For all of you saying the Yankees are hitting too many home runs, the only home run hit in this game was in the first inning. The 8 runs in the seventh were base hits. A walk, a hit by pitch, a dribbler across the infield. Alex said, I was more lucky than good. A bunt that was bungled, a blooper that fell between the players, everybody got a turn to play, fun times in the Bronx.

Nova pitched well, unfortunately he doesn’t get the win since the Mets were ahead when he left the game. He got an ovation however and the Yankees did the win the game. And if the Yankees win the World Series, he will get a ring. Got to look at the big picture. Ayala gets the win, Lance Pendleton pitched the ninth inning.

It really bothers me that the Yankees are being greedy. Scoring all these runs so Mariano can’t get anymore saves on his record. Greedy little buggers. Attendance tonight was 48,293.

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

It’s not the end of the world

Yes the Yankees got swept, at home, by the Red Sox, it’s not the end of the world, calm down people.

~~Red Sox 7, Yankees 5~~

For one thing, it’s May. For another thing, it is not the first time the Yankees have been swept by a team or at home. For the third thing, the Yankees are still 27-13 in World Series Play and the Red Sox are still 7-4 in Series Play. For the last thing, the Yankees did not go 86 years between World Series wins. There was no curse, that’s just an excuse bad teams use when they suck.

On a humorous note, when Freddy Garcia was being asked about what pitch Youk hit for a home run and he mentioned pitching to “the little guy” aka Ferret Face aka Garden Gnome aka Dustin Pedroia. I wasn’t sure that was what he said, then someone on Twitter verified it for me. I guess when you’re 6’4″ anyone under 5 feet is a little guy, I mean, well you know what I mean.

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