Yanks' "Must Win"

Umpire Joe West ended Alex Rodriquez's historic first Yankee at bat with a call of "Strike Three." Striding back to the dugout A-Rod must have been thinking, "Bad call, but no big deal, I've struck out before. I'll get him next time." But half a world away, at the Florida family compound the horses from the neighboring stud farm were spooked by the infuriated roar bellowed by the man who signs A-Rod's obscene paycheck. Nine innings later, after a humiliating 8 to 3 loss to one of the poorest teams in baseball, the Yankees were at a place they didn't think would come until October. Game two of the Yankees 2004 season suddenly became a "Must Win."

"If we lose tomorrow, we won't be in a 747 going home, it will be B & O, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad," Yankees special advisor, Reggie Jackson, said in Jack Curry's story in The New York Times. "You lose that and we'll go straight to New York," Jackson said in his first officially recorded advice to the team this season. Good advice Reggie. In the same story, A-Rod was also quoted as comparing the game to a "side show."

(A-Rod, I love ya, but buddy, download a pirated version of Bachman-Turner Overdive's, "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet.")

Steinbrenner issued a statement from his armchair in Florida after the Yankees' first loss. Mark Hill of the New York Post quotes from the statement and explains how "the boss" is more interested in "Tommy Tune" than A-Rod. Right.

Also reported in the Times story by Mr. Curry, plush towels were delivered to the visiting team's clubhouse a few hours before game time. The towels reportedly did not have pinstripes, but the Yankees did. Even though they were officially the away team, they got a special dispensation from MLB to wear their home pinstripes.

Gloat, Gloat, Gloat

It's small, but it may be all we get. Losing to a team with 1/6th the payroll makes George wince we're sure, maybe Torre's worried about Quantrill's knee, and the entire Red Sox nation is contemplating an entire summer's worth of A-rod looking at called third strikes (two today). But, the law of the large, right numbers - as they say in the movie business - make it unlikely that the Evil Empire will spend the 04 season in the cellar where they reside as of today (or is that tomorrow in Japan?), so find the heartless soul you know is a Yankee fan, and let 'er rip!

"Yanks Have Holes"

Giambi is a liability at first, fly balls drop in front of Sheffield and Lfton, and the Yankees starting rotation is ancient. That’s not us talking, it Buster Olney of ESPN magazine.

Oh, This one’s good…

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New Yorker

Don't miss the cover of the April 5, 2004 edition of the "New Yorker" magazine. It says a lot.

It may be too small to see in this picture, but that A-Rod looking guy has dollar bills overflowing his cap and pockets.

Opening day

Like the thieves they are,led by the Convicted Felon, and with Enron-like audacity, the Evil Empire starts on another year of buying baseball in the small hours of the day as if no one will notice.

American Pastime? If only we could blame George for this. But, as a Met fan, our team was once part of this shame of opening day in Japan.

And another great season gets underway. Sigh.

Jackson "Some Use Steroids"

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Reggie Jackson challenged baseball's whopping home run totals, and claimed that some are the result of players taking steroids.

``Somebody definitely is guilty of taking steroids,'' the Hall of Fame slugger told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for Thursday's editions. ``You can't be breaking records hitting 200 home runs in three or four seasons. The greatest hitters in the history of the game didn't do that,'' said Jackson, who hit 563 home runs.

Yahoo is reporting this on their web site now.
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