Welcome Back Omar

All season long, Mets owner Fred Wilpon has insisted that Jim Duquette has enjoyed autonomy in making all decisions regarding baseball. Well, today, in hiring Omar Minaya as the new Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations, those new duties will, on paper anyway, reside with Minaya. Duquette has agreed to step down to the position of Senior Vice President of baseball operations and answer directly to Minaya. Speaking as a Met fan, I hope this is the case.

Duquette worked as an assistant under Minaya when Steve Phillips was the Mets GM, so the men already have a working relationship. The fact that Duquette didn�t leave with this announcement says good things about their relationship. Unlike the Yankees, where Supreme Commander General George Steinbrenner makes all the final decisions, the Mets have been criticized for using a committee to make their decisions. Some have argued, and I�m one, that Wilpon's son, Jeff, who is the Mets' Chief Operating Officer, has way too much say over baseball decisions.

Minaya was offered the same job last year but turned it down because he would have had to share authority with Duquette. Lets hope he doesn�t now have to share baseball decisions with the Wilpons.

New York Daily News

New York Post

Hispanic heritage awards Foundation

The Postseason Pitch

As the sun begins to set on what has been another exciting and historical season in big leagues, the pivotal moment has arrived for players around the league. While some players are packing it up, trading in the Lousiville Slugger for the Callaway golf club and heading south, others are refueling, preparing for the grueling postseason that lies ahead. And no one player will carry greater pressure than that of the pitchers, who must hoist the games upon their shoulders to carry their team to the promise land. Arguably one of the most talked about pitching staffs has been that of the Yankees, which has been tinkered with all season. The feelings have ranged from that of frustration, triumph, and even "breaking" points. As the Bronx hurlers are passing in their resumes for a spot on the postseason roster, let’s take a look at what has transpired and what to expect.

Mike Mussina (12-9 4.59 ERA)
The key for success for the Ace of the Yankees will be the month-long rest Mussina received in June compliments of a sore elbow. While most pitchers begin to tire out at this point in the season, the rested Mike Mussina is finally back in form, with a 3-0 record and 1.51 ERA in his last five starts, capping off what has been a great September for the “Moose.”

Mussina will be the undisputed #1 starter for the Yankees in the postseason, and is the least of worries from a pitching standpoint in the Bronx.

Jon Lieber (14-8 4.33 ERA)
Coming off a one-year recovery from Tommy John surgery, the first half of the season was anything but a warm welcome back for the right-hander. But as they say, it takes a few months for a pitcher to regain strength when coming back from “T.J.” surgery; Lieber has been a prime example. Lieber pitched well in August, but even better in September, including a gem where he shut down the Red Sox, one of the most explosive offenses in baseball. With his extremely low number of walks (18), and his improved outings, Lieber should be a top candidate for a postseason spot. Look for Lieber to start a Game 2, which would be at Yankee Stadium, given his incredible success at home (11-2).

Javier Vazquez (14-10 4.89 ERA)
Javier Vazquez’ debut in the Bronx was an uplifting one for all in Yankee land after the losses of Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens. Posting a 10-6 record in the first half, Vazquez earned himself a spot on the American League All-Star Team. However, since the All-Star break in July, Vazquez has pitched poorly going 4-4. It could be mechanics, he could be hurting, according to Vazquez he feels good, but doesn’t know the problem. Vazquez’ pitching ability and electric “stuff” make him a danger for opponents at any time, and for that reason he’s a potential threat in the playoffs. Mel Stottlemeyer will spend countless hours with Vazquez before October, as he will earn himself a spot on the starting squad. If the Javier Vazquez pre-All-Star break shows up, he will give the Yankees an incredible chance to win on any given night, but if post-All-Star Javier makes an appearance, the Yankees will have to hit his way to victory.

Orlando “El-Duque” Hernandez (8-1 2.87 ERA)
The story of the year for the Yankees pitching has been the resurgence of the Cuban right-hander, ‘El-Duque”. “El Duque” has been en fuego for the Yankees since his return from the disabled list in July, posting the second lowest ERA in the second half behind Twins Ace Johan Santana. The postseason will be nothing new for Duque, as he holds the record for most consecutive postseason wins with 9. And with only a half season of work, look for the fueled up Hernandez to pitch well. He’ll have the fans doing the “El Duque”.

Kevin Brown (10-5 4.25)
Kevin Brown came with a lot of promise when he landed in the Bronx this off-season. Being honored with pitcher of the month in April lived up to the hype that came with “Brownie”. After missed time from a parasite and back spasms, Kevin Brown has had a long, frustrating road trying to get back into his groove. Breaking his hand by punching a wall didn’t go over well with his teammates or help his chances at a postseason start. His recent struggles could land him in the bullpen come October.

In October, stats and numbers might as well be thrown out the window. Everyone begins with a clean slate. Little goes as planned in the playoffs, heroics come from the unlikely and players are running on adrenaline, which can make even the most struggling player come into his own. October is a different ballgame; look for Yankee pitchers to come prepared, ready to prove everything and anything to those who stand 60 feet away.

Yankees' Twin Win

The New York Yankees added to their major league record for come-from-behind victories by gaining their 60th in the first game of a double header against the Minnesota Twins 5-2. The bombers then lowered their magic number to 1 by winning the second game by a score of 5-4.

In the first game, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire removed Cy Young candidate Johan Santana after five innings to rest him for the post season. That decision probably cost the Twins the game, as Santana had limited the Yankees to three hits, and struck out five. The Yankees went on to score four runs in the seventh, led by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriquez.

In the second game, Rodriquez hit an opposite field homer to right, and Hideki Matsui hit his 30th of the season, a three run shot, also to the opposite field. Both A-Rod and Matsui homered in the first game as well.

Meanwhile, in St. Petersburg, Florida, Pedro Martinez continued his September woes with another poor outing. In loosing his fourth straight start, Martinez looks like he’s already signed his contract with the Yankees. In five innings, Pedro gave up 10 hits, six runs, (five earned) while walking one and striking out five. Pedro learned he will be the number 2 pitcher in the playoffs, behind Schilling, and both he and Boston Manager, Terry Francona seemed excited by that fact.

Although Manny Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a double in the first, he left later in the game due to a tender hamstring.

AP Wrapup of Boston’s 9-4 loss

AP Recap of Yankees Sweep

Expos Go South

"The Washington Wonks?" "The DC Debaters?" Or, if a certain influential naming group has their way yet again - "The Ronald Reagans." It's still anyone's guess what will be the new name of the-team-formally-known-as-the-Montreal-Expos.

In the first move of a major league team since the Washington Senators became the Texas Rangers in 1971, MLB is expected to announce their move to DC today. There will be some more negotiating with the Baltimore Orioles' Owner so he has assurances that his bottom line will be protected. In the meantime, the talk is of half a billion dollars to be spent shining-up RFK stadium and a to build a new ballpark.

The Expos have been hurtin' financially for quite a while, eh? In 2002, the other league owners chipped in to purchase the struggling team, but their residence in Montreal — in the garish hand-me-down Olympic Stadium — has been in question ever since. This leaves the Toronto Blue Jays as the only non-USA team in the Major Leagues - and the residents of Quebec, upstate New York and northern Vermont with quite a long roadtrip if they want to go see a Major League team in action.

The closest baseball stadiums will be in Boston or New York. Ex-Expos fans, we highly recommend Fenway or Shea. Bon voyage!

This Week's Top Ten

Yankees' Top Ten Rejected Marketing Slogans

10. We're Pedro's daddy! (derekbunker)

9. We have class out the wazoo! (McGee1405)

8. If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em. (cachoeleta)

7. Why sit on the toilet when you can come sit in the toilet? (jozereko)

6. Ruining baseball for over a century. (jlt8r)

5. Regular season ticket:$45. ALDS ticket:$75. ALCS ticket:$85. Watching the Yankees lose another world series … priceless. (lemon_ryan)

4. The New York Yankees: Either you hate us, or you hate us more! (pels1972)

3. Paying Tanyone Sturtze's bills since 2004. (Falcons1000)

2. We're in the money. (Qball55)

1. Got Balco? (jklish)

Next week's topic:

Steinbrenner's Top Ten Most Disturbing Postseason Words Of Encouragement

So enter your entry into the box on the right, or email TopTen@YankeesSuck.com

Post game Chat

The Yankees were rained out today and will have to play two tomorrow. Meanwhile, down in Tampa Bay, the Sox have pulled within 2 1/2 games of the Yankees by beating the Tampa bay 10 - 2 in 11 innings. The win brought the Red Sox season extra innings record to 6-6.

Do you want to talk about the game and help us test some new software we're evaluating? Click here to talk about the game in our BETA testing period of our new live Game Chat!

Brewers Sale Near Completion

It is a joyous day in Milwaukee as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal reports that the Milwaukee Brewers have accepted an offer from Mark Attanasio to buy the team. Three bidders have been quietly bidding on the team for some time, including Attanasio, a Los Angeles investor, Daniel Gilbert, the chairman of Quicken Loans, and Miles Prentice, owner of the Brewer's Huntsville organization. The board of directors reportedly accepted Attanasio's offer of $180 Million at their meeting last Thursday.

As a Milwaukee-area resident, and beaten-down Brewers fan, I am excited to see that Mark owns a home in Los Angeles that is worth $30 Million. After all, that is $3 Million more than the entire Brewers payroll, and $5 Million more than Manny Ramirez's yearly salary. So, even if Mark had no extra money lying around, he could sell his home, buy Bud Selig's $500,000 shack on Lake Drive in Fox Point, and double the Brewers chances of finally becoming the .500 team we've always dreamed of.

Things I Won't Miss When Wendy Selig-Prieb Skips Town:
1. The constant excuses detailing how our team will be "better next year."
2. Total payrolls that are near that of single player salaries on other teams.
3. Having the retractable roof closed when Wendy feels "it's too cold." (Hey, toots, this is Wisconsin, consider 70 degrees a heatwave!)
4. (Hopefully) A thirteenth consecutive losing season.
5. Wendy Selig-Prieb.

Wendy, I know of some good, and quick, moving companies in Milwaukee; let us know if there is anything we can do to get you out of town faster. Mention my offer to your father, too.

Sox Clinch Playoff Berth

The Red Sox clinched a playoff spot with their 7-3 victory Monday night over Tampa Bay. Technically they can still win the east but the Yankees 'Magic Number" is four, with both teams having six games left to play.

The Sox hope they can dethrone the Evil Empire this year. Unlike...last year, and the year before, and the year before, and...

But as the Fenway Faithful say "This Year is the Year!"

Get Ready for a Wild ride!

On The Flip Side

Cy Young Award? All But Over!

People may still be of the opinion that the recipients of this years Cy Young awards is still up in the air. For me, it is just a case of playing out the remaining games so that the winners can get their awards.

Yes, the NL race is tight, but the decision has already been made and was secured yesterday.

I'll start with the American League, the far easier of the two.
Winner: Johan Santana
Second: Curt Schilling
After that: No one really deserves it

I understand that some people may not agree that Santana is better then Schilling, this being mainly a Red Sox site, but anyone who does disagree is delusional. I don't care about the win column, the gap is very small anyway. Schilling got his 21st Sunday, but Santana will most likely follow in a couple of days time. The fact is that Santana has been a far better pitcher. I am sure everyone is sick of hearing about his stats so I won't bother listing them. They are great, and they win it for him.

Saying who will finish after those two is tough, as no one really deserves it. You might say Mulder. I say he is overrated � a great pitcher but he only wins games because of the offense. If I had to say, I would go for Westbrook. He has shown that he is going to be a great pitcher in the years to come.

Now to the National League. I will be rating 5 pitchers as they are the ones being talked about.

Fifth: Jason Schimdt
Sure, he was on his way to a certain Cy Young, until he got injured. Now he is just put into the same sentence as all of the St Louis pitchers.

Fourth: Randy Johnson
This one is going to get most of the comments. When I say this to people they always reply, "but look at his K's, he should get the Cy Young because of that." WAKE UP! Yes his K's are amazing, but I always say to those people, "well if you say that, then Brad Lidge should get it because of his K's.: In case you haven't noticed, Brad Lidge has got a far better K/9, 14.76 to Johnson's 10.61. You can say that Randy can get it because of his K's and then not say that Lidge can't get it. Two words. Loss Column. I don't care that he plays for a bad team and has great stats. So far I haven't heard Ben Sheets' name mentioned in the same sentence as Cy Young, but his stat are similar to Johnson's. People need to stop thinking that he should get it because he is Randy Johnson. He is one of the best pitchers of all time, but until he gets away from Arizona, he won't be winning anymore Cy Young.

Third: Carl Pavano
He had it in his hands, but let is slip through. Yesterday's loss sealed it up. It's a shame because Carl is one of my favourite pitchers, but when down the stretch, losing 23 in a row is not going to get you a Cy Young. He probably has 1 start left, maybe two, even he throws complete game shutouts he won't win it.

Second: Roy Oswalt
Yes, he had a shaky start, but so did Santana. He has a chance to get 20 wins, starting two more games, Cardinals tomorrow and Rockies, both at home. Roy is my favourite player, so I of course hope that he gets 20 wins, or at least 19 to equal his season high. But his Cy Young campaign is already over.

Winner: Roger Clemens
He sowed it up with his ND the other day. He may not have the most wins (actually he does), but he has everything else. That's all I need to say. He is going to win it.

Please try to keep the hate comments to a minimum on this one, I know a lot of you are on the RJ bandwagon, but please try to remember that different people have different opinions. There is no need to insult someone just because they think differently to you.

Who do you think will win the Cy Young Award?
National League
American League

Kevin Brown Hits Another Wall

Kevin Brown's comeback appearance was short-lived after coming off the DL today to pitch. Brown struggled early as Mark Bellhorn singled and then the Red Sox hit three consecutive wall ball doubles. Brown allowed 4 runs in 2/3 innings.

Manny Ramirez hit a double to move Bellhorn to third. David Ortiz hit a double to score Manny Ramirez and Bellhorn. Then Trot Nixon scraped the wall with another double, which scored Ortiz.

Jason Varitek added a run on a single to right field. Orlando Cabrera then made an out and Bill Mueller hit an infield single.

This was enough for Joe Torre who took the amazing Brown out of the game.

He brought in Esteban Loaiza who ended the inning when Doug Mientkiewicz grounded out.

This was Kevin Brown's first appearance since he broke his glove hand twenty-three days ago. Brian Cashman plans to pitch Kevin Brown one more time this season to judge if Brown will help the Yankees in the post-season.

Pedro's Plea

Friday night marked the first time in the history of this heated rivalry that Yankee fans and Red Sox fans alike had the same reaction to one specific incident. As Pedro Martinez uttered the words, “I just tip my cap to the Yankees and call them my daddy,” Pedro seemed as vulnerable to the Yankees as Superman to kryptonite.

Has it finally come to this for Pedro? Have the Yankees finally become too much for Sox Superman? After two consecutive poor outings against the Bronx bombers, it becomes a possibility that the Yankees have finally taken over the head of Pedro Martinez. But has this been meltdown waiting to happen?

The numbers will show that Martinez hasn’t exactly been the Yankee killer over the years, but in the past 12 months, it seems he’s become a Red Sox killer, self-destructive to his own team. Dating back to the ALCS of 2003, Pedro Martinez lost two extremely pivotal games in that epic series. Game 3, which gave the Yankees both momentum and confidence, and of course the infamous game 7, in which one couldn’t help but see Pedro as a little boy pleading on the mound, ‘but daddy I don’t want to go to bed, I want to stay up and play.’

Daddy was fired after the conclusion of that series, but has since been replaced, not by Terry Francona, but apparently by the boys from the Bronx. Evidently Pedro doesn’t want to play anymore, at least not with those bullies from New York. Pedro’s wishes for the Yankees to “disappear and never come back” won’t solve anything for the Red Sox with the exception of a possible new slogan brought to you by Kevin Millar.

Pedro’s choice of words after Friday’s game wasn’t the best way to inject confidence in the fans and more importantly his teammates with October approaching. What does this say to Red Sox Nation when their portrayed ruthless leader suddenly wants no part of the beef they might have to take a bite from in a few weeks? In just a few short weeks these two teams could possibly be fighting for a first class ticket to the Fall Classic, and as a Yankee player, how can you be intimidated facing a man you know wants know part of you, and has referred to you as his “daddy”?

These are all questions that remain to be answered. If these two teams remain on course for a meeting in October, it will make for an interesting battle between fear and confidence. If Pedro’s white flag remarks rub off on his renegade-like teammates, they’re in for a grounding that will last all winter, compliments of "Daddy."

It Ain't Over In Boston

Here at YankeesSuck.com we believe the phrase the great Yogi Berra uttered inspiring all underdogs, "It ain't over til it's over." And for a little added luck, we've pinned our "Reverse the Curse," button to all our Red Sox hats.

Todays series rubber match starts at 2:05pm at Fenway and can be seen on NESN, YES, and ESPN2. The surgically remade Kevin Brown will face Boston's Curt Schilling. Brown punched a wall in frustration Sept. 3 after the Yankees lost 3-1 to Baltimore. So Sunday he will be wearing a glove with added padding. However, Yankee management has not said if he will be required to wear this glove after the game, should he have another bad outing.

Schilling has won seven straight decision to become a top Cy Young Award candidate this season. His Fenway record this year is 11-1 with a 3.51 ERA in 17 starts.

Use the comments area on this blog entry as an open thread on today's rubber match at Fenway. Please have a good discussion, and, as always. keep it clean. Have at it.

NYY 5 BOS 12-The Yankees Lose!

Here's another open thread for tonight's rivalry game — the second game of the final series of the regular season. Have fun and behave yourselves. Good comments will be posted here.

The Red Sox secured a win as the Red Sox gurantee a season series victory.

In the top of the 2nd Hideki Matsui hit a homerun. 1-0 Yankees.

In the bottom of the 2nd Orlando Cabrera hit a sac fly. 1-1 Tied up.

In the top of the 4th, Kevin Millar made a crucial fielding error. A-Rod reached and later scored on a Jorge Posada double. Matsui scored as well. 3-1 Yankees.

Nick Greenbacker says "Half man, Half amazing" hit a homerun. Doug Mirabelli goes yard. Red Sox tie it up in the bottom of the 4th. 3-3.

Jeter grounds into a double play to end the top of the 5th.

In the bottom of the 5th, Ortiz drove in Bellhorn. Then Trot Nixon drove Manny Ramirez in as Ortiz advanced to third. Red Sox get a 5-3 lead.

Pitching change: Tanyon Sturtze replaces Javier Vazquez.

After the change, Sturtze hit Mirabelli in the hand. Cabrera popped up.

In the top of the 6th a Yankee fan interfered with a ball going down the right field line. They awarded Bernie Williams home plate after a heated argument which resulted in the ejection of Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

Middle of the 6th, 5-5 Yankees.

Ortiz appeared to have hit a foul ball but it bounced into fair territory and into the stands as both Matsui and Ortiz watched it. Ortiz moved into second on the ground-rule double. Millar was then walked.

Pitching change: Felix Heredia replaces Sturtze.

Jeter then had an amazing play as Trot Nixon grounded the ball to second base. Jeter misplayed the ball and tackled Trot Nixon to the ground. The bases were then loaded for Mirabelli.

Pitching change: Paul Quantrill replaces Heredia.

Mirabelli pops out and Cabrera grounds out. Inning over 5-5.

Game coming down to the wire still tied up! Foulke had to come in the game to finish up the top of the 8th.

Red Sox take the lead on Da MANny Ramirez double! 6-5 Sox. David Ortiz got intentionally walked. 1 Out with the bases loaded.

Pitching change...Nitikowski for Quantrill.

Jason Varitek pinch hit for Doug Mientkiewicz.

Varitek breaks it open with a ground-rule double.

8-5!

Trot Nixon hit by pitch. Bases loaded for Mirabelli. Gabe Kapler will run for Nixon.

Mirabelli hit a double. 10-5 Red Sox.

Orlando Cabrera hits a sac fly. 11-5 Red Sox.

Bill Mueller gets a hit. 12-5 Red Sox.

Johnny Damon flew out to end the Yankees seven-run nightmare!

And just like that, the Yankees lose....THEHEHEHEHEHHE YANKEES LOSE!!!

Grady Redux

Two words why the Red Sox will not win the World Series in 2004: TERRY FRANCONA. That's all you have to know after Yankees 6, Red Sox 4 on Friday night at Fenway. Didn't Francona watch the tapes of Pedro's meltdown against the Yankees in the 2003 ALCS? Didn't he know that the reason he is even managing in Boston is because his predecessor waited too long to pull a pitcher? Apparently not. Francona, like Grady Little before him, hung ace pitcher Pedro Martinez out to dry in the 8th inning vs the damn Yankees.

Last October it cost Boston a trip to the World Series and Little was fired. In fact, the whole reason he was fired was because he made a bonehead decision to leave in a pitcher who was gassed and it cost the team. In the offseason Red Sox GM Theo Epstein promised he would find the right man to take this club to the next level, who wouldn't make the wrong choice under pressure. Well, guess what? Last night, 8th inning, Red Sox just take the lead 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh on a Johnny Damon home run off Tom Gordon. Pedro at 101 pitches through seven and giving up two loud outs to end the seventh to A-Rod and Sheffield. He's done, right? Turn it over to the bullpen for sure! NOT!
In what has to be described as the stupidest move in baseball history (more stupid than Grady's because now there is a precedent) Francona allows Pedro to pitch the eighth when he knows from recent history that Pedro is a different pitcher after 100 pitches. Sure enough, on the second pitch of the inning Hideki Matsui homers to tie the game. Then, to add insult to injury, Francona, like Little before him, still leaves Pedro in the game to give up the go-ahead run. And how does Francona defend not going to get Pedro after the home run? He says, and I quote, from the Hartford Courant story on the game: "If I run out there after two pitches it would look like I wasn't making a very good decision before the inning." Excuse me? Who cares??? The concern here is what you look like and not the game situation? This clown should have been fired at that moment by Theo Epstein and a press conference then called by management to apologize to the fans for hiring a jackass for a manager. If Francona is truly worried about his image he is even more clueless than Grady Little. "It boggles the mind how incompetently the Red Sox organization is run, from the owner on down Where do they find the GMs who find these bad managers? It's time to stop blaming the players for 85 years of futility. Last night showed that it is poor management that kills this team every time. The list of incompetent managers is a long one for this team: Don Zimmer, John McNamara, Butch Hobson, Jimy Williams, Grady Little and now Terry Francona, the biggest loser of all because he didn't learn from the mistakes of the past. I have no confidence that this team will win anything ever with Francona as the manager. It really is a disgrace to a team that has shown so much heart the past 2 seasons. Looks like 86 years and counting....

Ny 6 Bos 4 Final

Here's an open thread for tonight's rivalry game — the final series of the regular season. Have fun and behave yourselves. Good comments will be posted here.

Editors Note: Our blog experience technical problems in the top of the ninth just as the Yankees scored another run. So the blogs and comments end abruptly at that point.

Thread stared In the top of the third with Yankees Winning 2-0.

Manny!!!! Tied at 2.

Nixon for President!! red Sox Lead 3-2

1-2-3 go the Yanks
Posted by me at September 24, 2004 08:35 PM

Ortiz comes up short, 3-2 Boston after 5.

Top of the sixth.
Second and third ZERO outs and the Yankees batting in the top of the sixth...

Posada to a diving Nixon... Out, runners can't advance! NIXON for President!

Matsui, Sac fly, but Nixon drops the ball in the transfer. Good call by ump as the Yankees tie it at 3 to a cheering YankeeSonshine.

Cabrera applies the Gold standard to end the inning for the Yanks.

Bottom of the 6th
Matsui takes a hard bounce off the wall and makes a perfect throw to nail Mueller trying for two. Ouch!

Reverse The Moose as he tries to earn his keep.

Top of 7th Jeter is the only yankee to reach, but A-Rod and Shef strand him on first.

Stretch... In New York, this would take 25 minutes.

When they play like this, you see how evenly matched these two teams are.
Posted by YankeeSonshine at September 24, 2004 08:58 PM

Bottom of 7th
The "Girl who loved Tom Gordon" is pleased because he is now pitching as the Moose goes back to the swamp. A-Rod bare hands a ball and throws out Cabrera. What's this? Does the girl still love him? Johnny Damon sends a Gordon pitch over the right field wall. 4-3 Sox. I'm told by a voice over the TV that that is only the fifth HR Gordon allowed this season.

Top of the 8thMatsui hits Pedro's 103rd pitch out of the park. 4-4 Bernie Williams gets a double, and Red Sox fans pray Francona doesn't bring in Byung-Hyun Kim. Yankees take the lead when Sierra golfs a bloop single to right center off Pedro's 117th pitch of the night. Pedro rolls his eyes to the heavens as he leaves to applause. Bill Mueller tags Ruben Sierra at third before throwing to first for the out. But another bad call at third base leaves Sierra at third. Timlin is now in and walks Cairo before A-Rod is left in the on deck circle as Veritek throws out Sierra trying to score on a wild pitch. Yankees take the lead 5-4.

Bottom of 8th
Sox go down 1-2-3. :(

Top of 9th
Our server dies just at the Yanks buy an insurence run. You know the rest...

Some words for FOX

Living in Australia and only getting a couple of games a week it is a rare treat for me to see an Astros game (they are my team for those new to the site). So I was delighted to see that Fox Sports (Australian sports channel that resembles ESPN [2 channels]) was showing Houston vs San Francisco.

The past two weeks have been very good for me in terms of Astros games shown. Since the Astros have moved up in the wild-card, more Astros game are being picked as the game to be played. For instance ESPN made the Stros vs Brew Crew game, the Sunday Night game. But because of Sunday Night Football, I had to settle for a 12 hour delay.

Which brings me to my point. For some strange reason, the scheduled game was replaced today, it wouldn't have been as bad, had it not been a game that nobody cares about � Royals vs White Sox. Both teams have far been out of any chase for some time now, but for some reason, a game that has a big impact on the NL Wild Card isn't as important as seeing the Royals stink up the screen.

What makes me more mad, to say the least, the game was a wild one. Ejections, bench clearing and late inning heroics would have made this a geat game to watch, but I guess seeing Mike Wood start for the Royals is makes for better TV.

I'm sure Joe Buck has something to do with this, he seems intent on making my (and everyone elses) life a living hell.

NO NEED FOR ALARM

"You still bet that you can harm me, but you won’t alarm me."
– Del the Funky Homosapien, "No Need For Alarm"

How quickly things change. The level of fan hysteria reached a season high Friday night after Boston’s victory over New York cut the Yankees’ lead in the American League East to 2.5 games, but three successive defeats (two to the Yankees and one to the Orioles) completely changed the landscape. With last night’s dramatic win over Baltimore, the region is surely looking up again. Whenever I think the fickleness of my fellow Sox followers has peaked, they prove me wrong. Yes, the Yankees (95-66) caused serious harm to Boston’s hopes for a division title last weekend, but Sox fans need not be alarmed because the bigger picture is still bright.

The Red Sox (90-60) have played terrific baseball since late July, transforming from mediocre underachievers to pennant contenders in two months. The battle may be lost, but the war rages on. Don’t panic, this bunch is here to stay. Here are seven reasons to be confident in Boston’s World Series aspirations:

The Single
Boston’s lead of 4.5 games in the Wild Card standings may not convey a sense of urgency, but last night’s game-winning hit by Mark Bellhorn was crucial. Thanks to eight shutout innings and 14 strikeouts by Curt Schilling, the Sox were one strike away from a 1-0 victory in the top of the ninth until Keith Foulke surrendered a two-run bomb to Javy Lopez. Forunately for Boston, Bellhorn salvaged the night with a two-out, two-run single to center that gave the Red Sox a much-needed victory. A clutch walk-off win can be instrumental in lifting team morale, particularly if it ends a three-game skid.

The Catch
The Red Sox lost two of three against New York, but Friday night at Yankee Stadium, Boston reaffirmed that it can handle "The Sandman," a.k.a. indomitable closer Mariano Rivera, scoring two runs off him in the ninth for a comeback win. But the biggest highlight by far was a defensive play from an unlikely source. In the sixth, Manny Ramirez turned in a play destined for the highlight reel with an immaculately timed, full-extension snare atop the left field wall to rob Miguel Cairo of a home run. It was one of the finest defensive plays you will see from anyone, let alone the enigmatic Boston slugger, and it kept the Sox within a run in a game they went on to win, 3-2. Were it not for the Jim Edmonds-like effort by Manny, a Yankee sweep would have been distinctly possible.

The Rundown
Monday night marked the worst Rundown performance since The Rock in last winter’s action flick of the same name. When was the last time you saw a runner on third base mistakenly think the bases are loaded and trot home after a batter walks with men on second and third? That’s what Baltimore’s Melvin Mora did before realizing his mistake halfway to the plate, but even more amazingly, he was rewarded when the Red Sox infielders collaborated to let him score. A longer description of events is not worth the effort. It’s true that such displays are usually reserved for Little League, but we should cut the guys some slack for this fluke. Clearly, they were stunned by Mora’s stupidity and unable to think straight. It’s understandable, and with this debacle out of the way it is unlikely happen again. Overall, team is playing great defense, which can make all the difference in low-scoring postseason affairs.

The Depth
Boston’s deep bench provides Terry Francona with a luxury few other contenders enjoy, especially in October as teams attempt to squeeze every ounce of energy from their roster to muster an advantage whenever possible. Pokey Reese and Doug Mientkewicz are Gold Glove winners at second and first base, respectively, ideal for use as defensive replacements in the late innings when the team is ahead. Right fielder Trot Nixon, a playoff standout last fall, has seen limited time this season but figures to be available more frequently down the stretch. Dave Roberts is superb as a pinch runner and reserve outfielder. The bullpen could also receive a huge boost if Scott Williamson can stay active. The righthander, who served as the team’s closer during the playoffs in 2003 and has looked sharp when healthy, is currently being eased into active duty. With all hands on deck in the postseason, Boston is a legitimate threat.

The Rotation
The Boston pitching staff has been in shambles over the past few days. Derek Lowe’s meltdown Saturday was a sight to behold, Martinez was knocked around the next day, and Tim Wakefield looked lost Monday, much like his previous few starts. Bronson Arroyo surprisingly looks like the team’s most consistent option after Schilling and Martinez. The Red Sox would love for all five to be pitching well as October nears, but the good news is that they can work around problems. Five-man rotations exist to keep the staff fresh for 162 games, but the playoff environment necessitates busting out the big guns early and often. Thus, the rotations shorten. A great example is the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks team that ended the Yankees’ championship run. To an extent that no team would consider during the regular season, Arizona relied almost exclusively on Schilling and Randy Johnson, with the pair sharing the World Series MVP award. The struggling starters can be exiled to relief roles if needed, or at the very least limited to starting games in which Boston is not facing elimination.

The Home Field
An A.L. East title would give the Red Sox home field advantage throughout the playoffs, a huge boost considering how they thrive at Fenway Park. Yet failing to secure the division crown and home field is not a matter of life and death. The last two World Series winners were Wild Card teams, and the visiting team took five of the seven postseason series last season, including Boston’s ALDS win over Oakland. Red Sox playoff success in 2004 will hinge upon starting pitching, situational hitting and not giving outs away in the field. Oakland (87-60) and Minnesota (88-60) are both formidable squads, but Boston can compete with either one regardless of who controls home field. Despite their highly-regarded pitching staff, the A’s have beaten the Red Sox only once in nine tries this year. The Twins have been winning in a similar fashion to Boston – combining pitching, speed and defense – only with a less potent batting order.

The Hair
The 2004 campaign has been turbulent and defined by change, but one secret weapon remains a constant – the team’s hair growth. As predicted, Boston is establishing a new benchmark for collective follicle output by one team. Meanwhile, 200 miles down I-95, George Steinbrenner’s Yankees adhere to their "dress code" prohibiting long hair and facial hair growth. My theory is that Boston’s team-wide aversion to scissors is rooted in a desire to become the antithesis of the hated Yankees (although you could argue that for the past 85 years, they have already achieved this). Regardless, their appearance may come in handy next month in creating simple distractions or causing opponents to collapse in hysterical laughter during key moments.

Here’s an easy quiz for diehards – match the player with his distinct style:

Player ’Dos:
1) Johnny Damon
2) Mark Bellhorn
3) David Ortiz
4) Trot Nixon
5) Bronson Arroyo
6) Pedro Martinez
7) Manny Ramirez

a) hockey hair
b) jheri curl
c) mohawk
d) cornrows
e) unruly, often-braided mop
f) Cro-Magnon man
g) strange, neither-beard-nor-sideburns facial growth

Answers: 1-f, 2-a, 3-g, 4-c, 5-d, 6-b, 7-e

Three Men On What?

Being one of the unlucky ones to witness the fine defense by the hometown team on Monday night, I thought I would share an even worse base running blunder to cheer everyone up. Here it goes:

In August 1926, the Brooklyn Dodgers were playing a home game against the Boston Braves. Brooklyn had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh with one out. Babe Herman was up. He hit a deep drive off the rightfield wall. The runner from third came home to score easily. The runner on second, Dazzy Vance, was the pitcher and, like a pitcher, held up to see if the ball would be caught. He made it halfway to home when he decided to stop and head back to third. Chick Fewster, the runner on first, was at the same time barreling towards third. Vance then gets caught in a rundown while Fewster is on third. Herman, meanwhile, had slid into to second. He looked and thought the runner caught in the rundown was Fewster. So he then proceeded to third.

What happened? Well, as you can guess, all three of them ended up standing at third base. The third baseman for the Braves, Eddie Taylor, was thoroughly confused and decided to just tag all three of them. The umpires ruled Vance safe, and Fewster and Herman out to end the inning. Babe Herman is probably the only guy in MLB history to double into a double play.

This incident actually has historical value because in Brooklyn the 20’s and 30’s would later be known as the "Three Men on Third" era of Dodger baseball. The Dodgers were a very bad team over that period. So before we get too caught up in an absolutely dreadful execution of a rundown, we are still experiencing an excellent era of Sox baseball. The Sox are still going to the playoffs and in the playoffs anything is possible.

Source: Lost Ballparks

The Curse Within

Put all 26 rings aside, even the 39 pennants that can probably engulf the green monster if spread across it. Look no further than the attitude and mindset of the boys from Beantown and it’s evident why their history pales in comparison to the Yankees.

For about 80 years, Red Sox fans have been tortured with the notion of a “curse.” Not just any curse, one of a boisterous man who is looking down, brew in one hand and perhaps a magic wand in the other, almost as if he’s playing with the Red Sox like a bunch of dolls, toying with them every time they get ever so close. Yup, you guessed it, the curse of the Bambino. The standard for every power hitter in the game, he’s nothing short of a Greek god in the Bronx. But to be frank, I think this curse lies within. Underneath those blue caps with the embroidered “B’ on the caps.

The Red Sox are completely satisfied with being number two, and why not? They’ve spent countless years trying to be rated as anything. This was evident last fall around this time, when the Red Sox were running around Fenway Park popping bubbly like and partying like it was 1918.

There’s something to say about pride here. Who wants to be second best when you can be the best? Who wants McDonald’s when you can have the Outback Steakhouse? Because there’s a certain pride and feeling of accomplishment when you can say you’re number one. Derek Jeter recently told media the Yankees would not be satisfied with a wild card birth. Spoiled? Absolutely, only because for years the Yankees have settled for nothing less than the top. They haven’t always succeeded, but they never settled. After losing the World Series in 2003, the Yankees were vindicated by the fact they made it that far; they looked at it as a failure they couldn’t finish it off. This is why George Steinbrenner runs a tight ship, and settles for nothing but the best from his players, because of pride. The boss is a man with pride running through his veins, and having the history and tradition the Yankees do, its hard not to.

Watching Manny and Cabrera laughing it up as Pedro was KO’d in the fifth inning Sunday, it was almost as if you could read their minds. ‘At least we'll still make it to the playoffs.’ Apparently, that’s not enough.

The Red Sox satisfaction with being second best and the Yankees drive to be the best is clearly what separates these teams. The curse is a mind set in all those who wear the Red Sox uniform, satisfying for any way they can sneak in. Nothing is taken seriously with the Bo-Sox, making t-shirts and having a rally after clinching a playoff spot seems to be more important that concentrating at the task ahead. This is why the Red Sox haven’t won in 80 years, this is why the Red Sox melt anytime they come close to the Yankees, and this is why the Red Sox cannot beat the Yankees in a big spot, ever. The drive is not lacking, and there’s no pride taken in trying to be the best. While the Red Sox are busy thinking of new slogans for their next playoff series, the Yankees will be busy winning theirs.

Role Reversal?

A funny thing happened while watching this past weekend's Yankees-Red Sox series that may foretell each teams' destiny in the postseason. The Yankees won the overall series 2-1 in overwhelming fashion, but it's how the Red Sox won their one game that most interests me. In my view, the quality of the one Red Sox win far outshone the quantity of the two Yankees victories. And in past years, the team roles were always reversed.

In past years in a late September series between the teams, the Red Sox would generally win two of three games but it was always HOW the Yankees won their one game that ended up having the most impact as it propelled them into the playoffs. Last September was a prime example. In a 3-game series at New York on September 5, 6 & 7, 2003 the Red Sox blew into town and won the first two games in impressive fashion:9-3 and 11-0. They were poised to deliver a knockout blow by sweeping the series and putting the screws to the Yankees. But just like it's been for the last 85 years and counting, the Yankees would salvage the final game of the series and take the wind out of Boston's sails. David Wells beat the Sox 3-1 in that third game and re-established Yankee control of the division race.

I flashed back to that series after watching the one over the weekend, again in New York. And I realized that while everyone is focusing on how the Yankees once again took control of the division race by blowing out Boston on Saturday and Sunday, something else may be going on here.

Let's look back to the one victory Boston got in this series, the 3-2 win Friday night which allowed Boston to avert another sweep at Yankee Stadium. They won the game in the ninth inning against Mariano Rivera when Yankee fans left them for dead. In past years, when New York has always had the better pitching, this would be the type of game the Yankees would always win. It would overshadow Boston in the series and show the Yankees were truly the more complete team. (i.e. the Wells game mentioned above). My main point here is that although the Yankees were more impressive in the series as a whole, the Boston victory may turn out to be more of a sign of things to come in the postseason because the Sox did it in the clutch in dramatic fashion.

I think the Friday game was actually the most telling game in the series because it was Boston's second comeback win against Rivera this season, which shows they are not intimidated by him. And it shows that this year, for once, the Sox have the better overall pitching to stay with New York.

I just can't help thinking that what we saw Friday night may be a role reversal for the teams due to the state of their ptching staffs. I have to believe the Pedro game on Sunday was an aberration and that we won't see it again. Maybe, just maybe, if these two teams end up meeting in October, this series will be an omen of things to come as far as the Red Sox ability to "out gut" rather than "out slug" the Yankees. Only time will give us the true answer.

Rookies Get it Done in the Bronx

In the first game of his major league career, Gustavo Chacin faced the giants of baseball. Setting the stage for a brilliant future, lefty Chacin threw seven strong innings to humble the puffed-up Yankees after their recent romping of Boston. Chacin (19-2 in the minors) struck out two, walked three, and allowed only three runs (two earned) to lift the Jays to their third straight victory. RP Miguel Batista, a former starter for the Blue Jays, wrapped up the 6-3 victory for his second save as the new closer.

Fellow rookies SS Russ Adams and OF Alexis Rios combined for five of the six runs. Adams led off the game with a deep shot to right, the second of his career. He is swinging .350 out of 40 plate appearances.

A mere 10,732 people attended.

Bums and Heroes

I have compiled this list of Bums and Heroes from the prior Yankee/Red Sox series. This statistical tally is fact-based, speculation-inspired, and opinion-ated information. Use it as a tool to help review the previous Yankee/Red Sox series — or as a bar-stool talking points and factoids. Here it is (bold names are Yankees):

BUMS
Jason Variteck: 0 hits in ten at bats on the series
Pedro Martinez: 5 innings, 8 runs, 8 hits
Derek Lowe: 1.0 innings, 7 runs, 4 hits
Jason Giambi: 0 for 4 on the series (No hits since coming off the DL)
Ruben Sierra: 1-8 on the series
Kenny Lofton: Misplayed the game winning RBI in center

HEROES
Alex Rodriguez: 6-12 with 2 homeruns and 5 RBI’s
Hideki Matsui: Knocked in his 100th RBI
Jon Lieber: No hit the Redsox for 6 1/3 innings
Manny Ramirez - Leaping catch steals home run from Cairo

In review, both teams had their share of bums, which will happen in any series. But looking at this list, the main reason that the Red Sox lost was that they lacked the heroes necessary to win. There is a re-match Yankee/ Red Sox series this coming weekend — and another shot at redemption for the Sox.

Standings: Yankees 4.5 games up in the AL East
Red Sox 5.5 games ahead in the Wild Card

Sources: www.yankees.com
YESNetwork

Fun Versus Fear

When I look at the Red Sox and the Yankee players attitudes, I notice things are not what they should be. With a 85-year drought on winning the World Series — and a feeling among their "Nation" that THIS may finally be THE YEAR — one would expect that the Red Sox players would be weighed down by a sense of HUGE pressure. The Yankees, an elite baseball force of cream-of-the-crop, bought-and-paid-for players, should be able to chill a little. You would expect that these soldiers of the Evil Empire would approach each game against their "inferior" opponents with the same effrontery of the Barbarians plundering of the entire Western World. In other words, they would pretty much expect to win – and win BIG TIME.

Instead, it’s the other way around. Although it may be maddening to some of their diehard, lifelong followers, The Red Sox clubhouse seems to be in a relaxed and casual frame of mind. Some guys pay attention to their own stats and what the press is saying about them. Some don’t. Wins and losses are handled on a game-by-game basis. "Turn the page" is Manny Ramirez’s favorite philosophical quote. He licks his finger and mimes the action. Just advance. It’s an attitude adopted by many of his teammates.

Pedro Martinez will start for the Red Sox in today’s rubber match facing off against Mike Mussina. Martinez told reporters that he doesn’t intend to panic in "the town that loves to hate me."

Is he worried about the divisional race? "I'm not sure, to be honest," Pedro said. "I don't even know the numbers." He’ll face today’s game as any other. "I'm only going to try and give 100 percent effort. I'm not a stopper, I'm not anything. I'm just a player trying to earn his living and do his job."

The new guys on the Sox are just giddy with the excitement of playing their part in THE storied Rivalry. "It's exciting to be a part of it when you're living it, but even after you're done playing, to realize you're part of history, is pretty special. This is generation to generation," said outfielder Dave Roberts.

Orlando Cabrera, who is reportedly the new class clown in the clubhouse, takes a remarkably mature and wise approach: "As a professional, we have to take one game at a time. We only think about tonight. Whatever happens tomorrow, happens tomorrow. I'm enjoying every minute. I just enjoy being on a winning team and playing for a reason besides your numbers."

And this quote from Manny Ramirez – who the New York Times calls "lovably goofy and incredibly productive" really gets the eyes rolling in Boston: "I don't care," Ramirez said. "I just play for fun. Of course I want to win a World Series. If I don't get it, I ain't going to drive myself crazy."

Even 20-game winning pitcher Curt Schilling is taking baby steps. "My goal is innings," he said to an AP reporter. "Playing on a team like this, if you pitch innings, you're going to win a lot of games."

Strangely enough, over in the Yankee clubhouse, the ulcers are getting ulcers. GM Brian Cashman is rumored to swill Maalox like it’s spring water. In Friday’s loss to the Sox, Mariano Rivera was caught snapping angrily from the mound at his teammate, Kenny Lofton: "Catch the ball!" A-Rod’s hot temper lit the fuse in the famous bench-clearer during July’s match up. Kevin Brown is punching walls. And even the Yankees most-deserving MVP, Gary Sheffield — who plays with the intensity of the street-hardened city kid that he is — says that he promised Steinbrenner that if signed to the Yankees "I'd lay my life down for him." Talk about extreme sports!

I think it’s because the Yankees are motivated by fear. They are afraid of loosing a 10 1/2 game lead and finishing behind the Red Sox. They are afraid they are not performing to their inflated salaries. It must be tough to go through life thinking of yourself as over-priced. But most of all they are fearful of Mad King George, and the tirades and head-rollings they know they must endure if they fail.

The better team is having fun. The more expensive team is having a panic attack.

Sources: The New York Times,
Yahoo Sports, The Boston Globe

A Beating For The Sox

Leave it to Lieber. Jon Lieber that is, pitched 6 2/3 innings of no-hit ball against the Red Sox, silencing their recent red-hot lumber, lifting the Yankees to a 14-4 win in one of the most impressive pitching performances against one of the best offenses in baseball all season.

The Red Sox were simply beat up on all cylinders Saturday afternoon, including on defense, which the Red Sox have prided themselves in since the trade deadline added two more gold gloves to the infield. The Yankees certainly didn’t see any flashes of the gold leather this afternoon, as Cabrera’s throwing error and two fielding mistakes by the Sox made the defense almost laughable.

Manny Ramirez, who was featured on Sports Illustrated earlier this year, bearing the headline “Hitting Pretty”, has looked pretty ugly against the Yankees so far in this series, going 0-4. Alex Rodriguez continues to put forward good games against the Red Sox, which has been a complete turnaround since his 0-17 slide against the Sox in April. The Yankees hitting has come alive, collecting 15 hits Saturday afternoon, which is more than the Red Sox have managed to scrape up in the two games combined.

If the Yankees starting pitching is their Achilles heel, the Yankee pitchers certainly haven’t gotten that memo as of late, throwing 25 innings, allowing only 13 hits, and 5 ER in the last four games.

The signs certainly don’t point in the Red Sox favor to catch the Yankees for the division crown; perhaps the Wild Card is more realistic for the Fenway faithful. One thing is for certain, as October approaches, the collision course seems to be right on track for perhaps a repeat match up in the postseason.

Manny Saves the Day and Jesus Delivers!

Another classic game between the Red Sox and Yankees ended in heartbreak. This time for the New York Yankees!

The table was set, Bronson Arroyo, the starting pitcher of the controversial July 24th brawl game versus the seeming unbeatable Effus pitching Orlando Hernandez.

With one on in the first, Manny Ramirez stepped up to the plate. He hit a deep shot to left field. At first glance, it appeared that Manny had hit a home run. But as Manny crossed 1st base, El Duque with the rest of the Yankees squad started running towards 3rd base umpire, Tim Timmons. Umpires Hunter Wendestedt, Mike Winters, Bruce Froemming and Tim Timmons gathered together and overturned the home run.

In the top of the 3rd, Johnny “Jesus” Damon stepped up to the plate. El Duque left a fastball up and in and Damon slapped it over the wall for a home run.

In the bottom of the 4th, Jorge Posada grounded out to first, scoring Alex Rodríguez. Thus, tying the game at one a piece.

Then in the bottom of the 5th, John Olerud hit a scorcher into the right field seats. The Yankees now led 2-1. However, the next batter was Miguel Cairo. Cairo decided he wanted to hit a home run. But Manny Ramirez, thought differently. Well, you might be saying, well Manny always thinks different. Manny decided he would steal the home run from Cairo.

As the ball was going into the seats, Manny leaped and caught the ball inches in front of a unlucky Red Sox couple. Who after, were caught NOT-interferring with the play, were ejected.

Manny Ramirez isn’t usually known for his defense but he proved many people wrong tonight — likely saving the lives of many Boston fans.

Now, fast-forwarding into the 9th. The Red Sox were down by a run and it seemed over with the greatest closer of all time coming to the mound, right? Wrong again.

Mariano Rivera entered with a 2-1 lead, but didn’t leave with it.

Trot Nixon led off the top of the 9th with a walk. Dave Roberts was sent to pinch run for Nixon. Jason Varitek struck out but allowed Roberts to move up to second. Then Kevin Millar was hit by a pitch. Gabe Kapler ran for Millar.

Orlando Cabrera came up with 1 out and runners at first and second. It was just two months prior, when the other shortstop was sulking on the bench after Terry Francona declined to put him in to play. But Orlando was playing and he delivered. He singled to right and Dave Roberts scored from second base.

Game Tied, 2-2.

Kevin Youkilis then struck out. Johnny Damon came up to the plate and delivered the finishing blow to the New York Yankees. He blooped a single, similar to Luis Gonzalez’s hit in the 2001 World Series versus Mariano Rivera. Kapler came around from second to score as Kenny Lofton bobbled the ball in center field.

3-2.

Keith Foulke enters.

Jorge Posada led off the inning and flied out to Johnny Damon. Jason Giambi struck out swinging and then John Olerud struck out to end the game.

The Red Sox had won another remarkable game versus the New York Yankees.

The Red Sox now lead the season series 9-5 and have 5 games remaining versus the Yankees this year.

Boston now trails the Yankees by 2.5 games in the division.

Derek Lowe and Jon Lieber will pitch tomorrow's matinee game and will most likely be rained out. Pedro Martinez and Mike Mussina will pitch the Sunday game in the crucial series.

700

Barry Bonds became the 3rd member of the 700 home run club tonight. After being hit by a pitch in his first at-bat, Jake Peavy grooved a pitch to Barry Bonds. Bonds usually hits home run into the McCovey Cove but this time he drove it the other way.

Barry Bonds joined Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth as the only three men in the history of baseball to hit 700 homeruns.

In true Barry Bonds fashion, he decided not to tip his cap.

Let the games begin

Thanks to our infamous commenter "I Hate Sox," we bring you the image at right. The New York Daily News, in their always entertaining-and-informative style, summed up the series in a way only they could. But also in the New York Daily News, is this story by Mike Lupica. I won’t sum up what he has to say, because, as always, Lupica views this series from his unique perspective. This is a wonderful article on the season and the rivalry. He touches on El Duque, A-Rod, and why this is the way the rivalry is supposed to be. And he does it in a way that would make Red Sox and Yankees fans agree!

There Are No Yankees in Football

The World Champion New England Patriots opened NFL 2004 at home last Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts, the team that the Pats bushwhacked in last year's AFC Championship on the way to their second Super Bowl win in three years. New England's 27-24 repeat victory in the opener was an indicative object lesson in how to create the building blocks of a dynasty when all the cards are stacked against you. This, my friends, is a different level we're observing here.

It's no secret that parity rules the NFL, and that's how the NFL wants it. From Pete Rozelle to Paul Tagliabue, the league has been on a 44-year mission of equality that works in theory (and often in practice). There hasn't been a repeat Super Bowl winner since the 1997-1998 Broncos. From 2002 to 2003, exactly ONE TEAM (the Philadelphia Eagles, who went 12-4 both seasons) retained their record from the season before. In addition, only 10 of the 32 NFL teams retained their identical division positions, and only five of the twelve 2003 playoff teams were involved in the postseason in 2002. The NFL creates excitement that Major League Baseball can't, because so many more teams start a season legitimately believing that they've got a solid shot at the brass ring. There are no Yankees in the NFL'thank GOD.

But in the burgeoning middle class, where prosperity is an elixir meant to be shared, the Patriots seem to be stating a case that no matter how much you lower the ceiling and raise the floor�a team that plays to achieve overall perfection over the glorification of the individual will always beat the house.

There are several teams that may have more pure talent than New England on a player-by-player basis, but the only other time I�ve seen a team play in concert at this level is when I treat myself to highlights of the 1972 Miami Dolphins � the only undefeated team in NFL history. Those Dolphins, like these Patriots, were the smartest team in the league � by far. Bill Arnsparger, the defensive coordinator of those Dolphins, once said that after watching every defensive down of the �72 season, he saw only thirteen mental mistakes.

Thirteen. In the entire season.

The Patriots have won sixteen regular and post-season games in a row, two short of the record that the �72-�73 Dolphins established. And they�ve done this by borrowing the Dolphins� template. Throw the high-percentage pass. Call the right play. Know what your opponents are doing � sometimes before they themselves know � through study and instinct. Hang on to the ball in traffic. Don�t over-pursue. Wrap up the tackle. Play the right angle and always, always, ALWAYS be the most prepared team on the field.

After the New England-Indianapolis rematch, I e-mailed a friend and told him that to me, the Willie McGinest sack of Peyton Manning that took the Colts out of field goal range late in the fourth quarter and killed any chance they had of tying or winning the game almost seemed an inevitability. It was a close game, but whenever you try to pin the Pats, they slip through your restraints. Manning might be the most perfectly engineered quarterback in the NFL today, but when crunchtime came around, it was McGinest who beat his man and grabbed the sack while Manning was caught short going through his reads. Once again, it�s what you do as opposed to what you could have done that matters.

That�s why the Patriots are the league�s elite, and it�s why every other team will have to step it up mentally to unseat them and reach that level themselves. Mental toughness eradicates the "little things"�road losses, surprise suspensions, dropped passes, late-game defensive implosions�that stop a team, no matter how gifted, dead in its tracks.

Editor's Note: Doug Farrar is the talented editor of www.Seahawks.net. This story can be read in its entirety on that site.

Here come the Cubs

Alright. So we all the Cubs are only a half game out in the NL Wild Card. But look out for some big changes come this off season. Chicago Sun-Times writer Jay Mariotti reported today that the Cubs will have some money to spend. How so? Well, Mariotti reports that Sammy Sosa's and Moises Alou's $11.5 million option will not go into effect. This means the Cubbies will be $11.5 million richer, and can now pursue free-agent to players such as J.D. Drew, Magglio Ordonez, and more expensively, Carlos Beltran. The Cubs will definately have some money to toss about. There has even been talk of releasing Nomar Garciaparra, with his injury problems. Cub’s GM Jim Hendry tells the Chicago Sun-Times that they will be looking to acquire Armando Benitez of the Florida Marlins, who has a 1.16 ERA in 56 games this season.

So what should the Cubs actually be looking for? In my opinion, the Cubs can deal with their offense for now; even though it has its flaws. However, the Cubs need pitching more than anything right now. Even with the big names on the rotation such as Dempster, Maddux, Wood, and Prior, all except one of Chicago’s pitchers have an ERA over 3.

But all that is in the future. For now, as the weather cools down and the playoff tension heats up, watch for some teams to start emmerging; and don’t count the Cubs out.

Sources:
www.mlb.com
www.cubs.mlb.com
www.prosportsdaily.com

This Week's Top Ten

Top Ten Signs Joe Torre Has Lost His Mind

10. When asked about the 2001 World Series, rocks back and forth and says, "What bloop single? We won ... We never loose ... George says so." (WhoGirl17)

9. Relying more and more on advice from invisible Don Zimmer. (marxx3888)

8. Keeps trying to pencil in Wade Boggs at 3rd. (MrOpposite)

7. Actually believes El Duque is a legitimate playoff ace. (mark)

6. Convinced he should be Posada's backup catcher. (cachoeleta)

5. Tanyon Sturtze is starting the first game of the World Series. (MrOpposite)

4. Recently attempted to sue Hurricane Frances. (McGee1405)

3. Signs a 10-year contract extension. (bosoxbabe88)

2. Now "goes Kevin Brown" after every Yankees loss. (7mdaly)

1. Seen in the dugout doing the "I'm crushing your head" move to opposing players with his fingers. (MishiBlock99)

Next week's topic: Yankees Top Ten Rejected Marketing Slogans

Those Meddling Kids!

"These rookies are giving us a headache" said Pedro Martinez to a Boston Globe reporter after last night’s sad display against the Devil Rays’ Scott Kazmir. In Seattle on Sunday, Gil Meche ran them over before they knew what hit them, too. And next Sunday, Yankee rookie Brad Halsey is gearing up to take the mound in the Bronx.

Is this the Red Sox’ achilles’ heel? The new kids?

(20-year old Kazmir isn’t even legal to have a beer to celebrate after the game.)

Well if that is the case, Tito needs to give a little pep talk on creative batting: "outside the (batter’s) box thinking" – so to speak. We know the Red Sox sluggers have mastered the old material, now they need to work on whatever new stuff is being thrown in their direction. But, not to worry. Our seasoned old men are still quick learners – and they WANT it badly this year. They WANT it in a way only somebody who’s been doing their job for a long time can want something. The Red Sox will prove that wisdom and experience are still valuable in this world – but they will learn not to underestimate the rugrats on the field, either.

The Yankees: What's Not To Love?

For me, these past few weeks have been long. I’ve been to doctor after doctor, all to hear the same thing: "It’s the Yankees, I swear." Okay, they didn’t exactly say that, but they might as well. Like a Ray Bradbury novel, here is why I love the Yankees (in no particular order):

Their Diversity:
After wearing out my sneakers, I drove to Foot Locker to purchase size-12 New Balance. At the checkout counter, I noticed their collection of baseball caps. Or should I say Yankee caps? Out of the 30 hats there, 28 of them had the New York brand on it (yes, I counted). Glossy-eyed, muttering a few "Oh my gosh"’s, and feeling emotions of galling-giddiness and reasonable-rage, I tried to comprehend Yankee logos I’d never even think of: pink, jean, trucker-style, children’s, and what looked like a tie-dye. The other two were the Cardinals and the Angels. In a sarcastic tone, I asked the guy at the counter if he had any Blue Jay caps. He thought for a moment, turned around to scan the shelf, and said, "No. I guess we’re out of stock." I don’t think he got it.

Their Philosophy:
In one of my Psychology textbooks, the author (my hero) starts each chapter with a classic Yogi Berra gem. They usually give me headaches, but my favorite always makes me laugh. I’m sure it’s one we’ve all heard, along with many others ("You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six."). The quote, which introduces Chapter 4: Statistical Identities, is "Baseball is 90% mental— the other half is physical." Thank you Dr. Berra.

Their Respect:
I recently moved to the outskirts of Anaheim. Yes, Angel territory. So, when the Blue Jays came to town, it was a big deal. On the third night I put on my makeshift Toronto shirt (my two real ones were dirty and sitting on my bedroom floor) and headed for Edison Field. As Delgado capped a five-run 3rd inning with a bomb to right, I jumped up and started singing the Canadian National Anthem at the top of my lungs (on a side note, while O Canada was being played during the opening of the game, a little 16-year-old, with his girlfriend, leaned over to me and said, "Dude, like Canada has one of these like songs too?") Anyways, as I sat down I felt something hit my head: a peanut. It turns out two losers (yep, harsh) dressed in full Yankee gear (at an ANGELS game) were the culprits. They flipped me the bird.

Their Intelligence:
I know I’m stereotyping, but last week I found out one of my best friends was "a born-fan of the Yankees." They’re all ‘born’ fans. Needless to say, when asked who her favorite Yankee was, she went blank. Not even the quick, "Derek Jeter!"

Their Bravery:
I will never forget when the Yankees were hailed as heroes. Being awarded for their "heroism," President George -Dubbayuh- Bush publicly honored them. Among such "heroes": Don Zimmer, George Steinbrenner.

There are many, many more reasons why I love (hate) the Yankees, but I’m starting to feel sorry for them. From the philosophy of Berra: "I didn’t really say everything I said." Oh, Yogi, don’t be so modest

THE STORE IS OPEN!

We interrupt this 'blog to announce the Grand Opening of our CONCESSIONS STAND! Check out our original designs on T-SHIRTS, CAPS & OTHER FUN STUFF. Just click on one of our Souvenirs links to enter the store. Our logo items may be a little obnoxious – but it’s all in good fun. (Especially if your idea of fun is irritating a Yankee fan.)

RED SOX NATION! When we began this site, we asked for you to put the good karma out there and Reverse the Curse by adding to our special page. Now we bring you a line of original, collectible, limited-edition gear that tells the world you are a diehard who keeps the faith! 2004 is the year that this curse is turned around – and you’ll have the shirt to prove it! (What will YOU be wearing when the Sox take down the Yankees in the next 2 weekend series?)

EVERY ORDER PLACED THIS GRAND-OPENING WEEK WILL GET A FREE LOGO BUMPER STICKER!* So do your holiday shopping early.

And thanks in advance for supporting YankeesSuck.com!

*Place your order by Midnight, Sunday, September 19 and we'll include 1 free YankeesSuck.com bumper sticker.

Nomar? No. It's More Mo.

With the Red Sox soaring, the obvious question to ask is, 'was Nomar the cause of this team's nearly-year long disappointment?'

It certainly seems like that might be the case...everyone seems to be having more fun, Derek Lowe is finally starting to pitch well again, what with his gold glove defense now behind him, and Pedro's looking like his dominant self. Add the steady Keith Foulke and Curt Schilling, and yes, you have a team that is now favored to represent the American League in the World Series.

Plus, remember...this team began the year strong too--when Nomar was out. The equation seems simple: Red Sox + Nomar = .500 and sad. Red Sox - Nomar = .680 and happy.

But is it really that simple? It's certainly counter-intuitive...as much as Bill Simmons likes to speculate on the Patrick Ewing effect (an MVP that makes a team worse), was Nomar's mere presence pulling the entire Red Sox team down with him? Honestly, I don't think so. I've got another--more realistic--explanation. The big Mo. And not Mo Vaughn.

The Red Sox are finally firing on all cylinders because they're confident and they have momentum. They know they have superior talent, and they're playing like it. When one win turns into two which turns into five, it's easier to run off long winning streaks, shrugging off the losses like nothing. Without this confidence, a loss gets everyone down. It's mob mentality--if everyone believes, the results are astounding. And with the team's talent, it was merely a matter of time before the wins started to roll. And then, cue the snowball effect.

So, it's not Nomar's absence that has made the team begin to win--it's simply that the Red Sox have more skilled players than their weaker opponents. They're just better. None of this baloney about the team's newly focused mindset, without the distraction of Garciaparra...you think this stuff effects Manny and Pedro? Hell, a titanic earthquake/typhoon/tsunami that destroyed 75% of earth wouldn't effect Manny. You think he cares that Nomar is upset about a contract extension? Please...the guy is just good, and it's only a matter of time before the Red Sox win when they have players as talented as Ortiz, Damon, Varitek and, yes, even Derek Lowe. Would this winning streak have happened if Nomar was on the squad? In the words of Robert Evens, you bet your ass it would.

One more point...Red Sox fans, you should be PRAYING Oakland holds off Anaheim in the west. The only way Oakland wins is if their big three strike gold in the playoffs and pitch like world beaters...something they've never done at Fenway. Anaheim provides a tougher test, with a much more dangerous offense. Since the Red Sox big bats will get to either team, Oakland is the lighter opponent.

On The Flip Side

The Montréal Connection

Anyone who read my first ever blog on this site would know that I am a Tampa Bay fan (second of course to my beloved Astros *). Having a team payroll only just better then A-rod's and getting to where they are is a pretty big thing. Imagine if they had a $70 million payroll like most of the average teams, the result would be mind boggling.

That brings me to my latest topic. Re-locating The Expos.

Moving the Expos affects Tampa Bay. The move would put the Expos in a different league, most likely the National West. I suggest that they be moved to the American West, in turn pushing a team into the National League: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

There are many possibilities as to what to do with them and there are many ideas to create a better club. Firstly, they could try selling to someone who might care about them being the NL whipping boy and do something about it.

At the end of the season, they will be moved. Good ol' Bud is yet to make a decision. What a surprise. He has been thinking about it for about 3 years now.

Here is my suggestion.....

Move them to Las Vegas. Add another attraction.
There is plenty of room for a stadium (retractable roof) and plenty of people go through each week, I'm sure a lot of them would feel like seeing a baseball game while there. It is a great place to put them.

Tampa Bay have long been considered an NL team, there interleague record alone proves that point. So why is it fair that the division that has the two biggest spending teams in baseball, also hold the team with the least? Put Tampa Bay in the NL East.

Many of you will argue with that statement agreeing that the AL East should have 4 teams, but why not move Baltimore or Toronto. Quite simply, my biased opinion doesn't care, cut Tampa Bay some slack. Some people may also say that would put two Florida teams in the NL. REALITY CHECK. There are three Californian teams in the West.

This move can only be good for baseball. People may turn up to Devil Ray games (except that fat dude that always heckles people, who has a season seat behind the home plate, that ESPN are obsessed with showing, you know the guy).

* Great work Phil Garner on putting in Lidge for two innings so that he would blow the save, therefore leaving Oswalt with a ND. You've now made the The List. Lidge got the win for those who don't know, but as far as I'm concerned, a non-Oswalt win isn't a win.

Sox In The National League?

Red Sox In The National League?

Well, not quite. But it almost happened in 1919.

The Sox had a pitcher at that time named Carl Mays. Mays was a righty, submarine style pitcher (think B.K. Kim) that had a serious attitude problem (again, think B.K. Kim). He ended up suspended for 10 days by the team during the season for insubordination. The Sox worked out a deal with the Yankees to sell Mays to them for $50,000 that July.

AL President Ban Johnson not only refused the sale, but then extended the suspension of Mays indefinitely. The Yankees filed a court injunction and won against Johnson. Then the Sox and Yankees, in a rare show of cohesion, joined forces with the White Sox and threatened to leave the AL and extend the National League to12 teams. They used this as leverage to get the other AL teams to subscribe to the Lasker Plan, which was the plan to make Kenesaw Landis the first commissioner of baseball. This reduced Johnson’s power and Landis quelled the dispute once he took office.

Think about the impact of this. If Johnson had won, he may have squashed the Ruth sale the following winter. Frazee may not have been able to dump their best players. And just think if they had gone to the NL. Would we still be waiting? All are things to think about.

And Mays? His attitude caught up to him the next year with the Yankees when he intentionally hit Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman in the head and killed him. He pleaded his innocence and was never the same after that. Two teams pushed to have him banned from baseball afterwards. One was Detroit. The other? That’s right. The Red Sox.

Source:
The Baseball Catalog

Over/Under

I've been wanting to do this for some time, so I thought I would just do it. I bring to you, YankeesSuck.com's version of Over/Under. For those who never watch Pardon The Interruption (PTI), this is where the game is borrowed from (no doubt it is borrowed from someone else, but this is where I got it from). The Game involves having a number, followed by a statement. The idea is to reply by saying that the answer will be over or under the particular number, followed by a short response why.

So I asked a couple of bloggers on here some questions. For those of you I didn't ask, next time. Seeing this is the first time, I didn't quite think through some of the questions, which resulted in a lot of the same answers, but now I know to accommodate for that the next time I do it. The questions were also asked about 6 or so days ago, so some answers may be a little outdated.

Over/Under: (2) - Number of 20 game winners this season.

Joe Davis - Over - Curt Schilling and Mark Mulder should reach the 20 game mark this season. They both have 17 wins right now. Other potential 20 game winners are Roy Oswalt, Carl Pavano, Johan Santana. I think that Johan Santana will get 20 wins.

Derek Bunker - Under - Curt Schilling is only 3 games away, and with Boston seeing a lot of Tampa, Baltimore, and NY, who they have embarrassed this season, it’s easy to say Schilling will get it. I don’t see Mark Mulder (17) getting three more, as I think (mostly hoping) the A's will decline and the Angels will win the AL West. Carl Pavano might get 20, but let’s be honest. 12-13 with the WS winners last year?

Mr. Opposite - Over - 4 - Schilling, Santana, Oswalt and Pavano. I don’t think Mulder will get their, the bullpen may not hold up, and he hasn’t exactly been pitching all that great. The offence is what is getting him wins. Oswalt has got an easy schedule, so does Pavano.

Over/Under: (100) - Number of game won by the Yankees this season.

Derek Bunker - Over - Although the Yanks play six more with the Sox, their schedule is relatively weak. They should be able to pull off victories over the likes of Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and (dare I say) Toronto. The Twins is their only test outside of Boston.

Mr. Opposite - Under - Their pitching is already (and will continue to be) falling apart on them. I go with 99. They will struggle against Boston and Minnesota.

Over/Under: (15) - Number of teams with a plus .500 average at the end of the season.

Lefty - Over - For this one I’m working backwards. Arizona, Colorado, Milwaukee, Montreal, sorry to say the Mets, Seattle, KC, Toronto, Tampa Bay all have a zero chance of finishing at .500. The Yankees, Red Sox, Minnesota, Oakland, Anaheim, Texas, Atlanta, Florida, St Louis, Cubbies, Houston, Dodgers, Giants, Padres are all virtual certainties. That’s 14. So, unless one of the lesser teams decides to play .700 ball for the rest of the season, it comes down to Philadelphia, Cleveland and Baltimore.

Philly, yes, 15, Cleveland no. Cleveland used up all their runs against the Yankees. The Mazilli factor makes it interesting. Baltimore would need to play .643 ball, 18-10, in their last 28 games to finish at .500. The O’s have been streaky all year. They lost 12 in a row before winning the last 6 even beating the Yankees twice. They play Boston 8 more times this season, and the Yankees 4. I think the “Italian Stallion” will delight in the spoiler roll. He’ll relish the chance to give his buddy, former boss, mentor, and fellow Brooklyn born friend Joe Torre a helping hand in those 8 games against the Red Sox. The O’s finish at .500.

Derek Bunker - Over - 16 - I think every team that is now above 50% will stay above. I also think Cleveland will come back from 4 games back to make it over. The Phillies? With a lot of Montreal and other such teams in their future, their challenges are limited. But I’m probably wrong. Two weeks ago I would have said the Mets were 50%+ material.

Over/Under: (18) - Most games lost by one player.

Lefty - Over — The Royals Darrell May must have inspired this question. I’m rooting for 20, just for oddity.

Mr. Opposite - Over - Darrel May is going to pick up 3 more losses. It is a shame, because he hasn’t pitched as badly as the loss and ERA columns indicate.

Over/Under (230) - Number of time Barry Bonds gets walked.

Fuzz martin - Over - Barry Bonds will have to hire a pinch walker to actually walk the bases for him so that his precious legs do not get tired.

Joe Davis - Over - Simply because San Francisco is facing playoff contending teams, they can't afford Barry beating them with the long ball.

Lefty - Over - 245.

Mr. Opposite - Under - I think he will be wearing out soon. The rest of the team will soon fail around him and when no one is one base, they are going to pitch to him. I say he gets about 228 walks.

Derek Bunker - Over - He is too dominant.

Well, that's it for now. If you think you might want to get involved with this in the future, send me an email at MrOpposite@YankeesSuck.com

Count Your Blessings

Here in the Northeast it's a crisp, perfectly gorgeous fall day. The sky is bright blue and the leaves are just starting to deepen in color. There are a few red sugar maples getting off to an early start. The morning bears an uncanny resemblance to the morning that changed everything - just 3 years ago.

People are out in their yards planting mums and mowing lawns and rifling through junk at tag sales. There are a few flags at half-staff. Later on the working people will crack open a beer and put on the game to see if the Sox will get any closer to the Yankees. It's a classic American Saturday. Life goes on.

The Yankees are on the road today in Baltimore, so I guess Ronan Tynan is doing his 7th-inning God Bless America show somewhere else - perhaps down the road a bit in lower Manhattan — where the gaping hole has been cleaned up and fenced off — but is still looking like a huge scar. And the people that lost irreplaceable family members and good friends will recall that personal pain again - and do something small and meaningful to honor those lives.

The rest of us will consider what we have lost in these past 3 years, too. But there are still so many blessings here: the lawn that needs cutting, the roof that leaks, the dirty car, the bills piling up and the struggles of your baseball team. These are the blessings of life going on. Count 'em up - and raise up that beer in a toast to all the insignificant little troubles. God bless America, indeed.

O's Halt Yankee Streak

Baltimore came out swinging today versus the New York Yankees. Miguel Tejada started it off with a two run blast to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead in the first.

Jeter responded in the top of the second with a three-run home run. Yankees led 3-2 in the second.

In the third, it started to get interesting. Javier Vazquez, the starting pitcher, never made it out of the inning. Vazquez let the Orioles walk all over him, literally. With the bases loaded, he walked Miguel Tejada, hit Rafael Palmeiro and walked Javy Lopez. It already seemed like a long day for Vazquez and he wasn't done yet. He then proceeded to give up a two run single to B.J. Surhoff and to top it off gave up a single to score Lopez. Torre had seen enough and brought in their savior! - Or not. C.J. Nitkowski entered the game and gave up a hit that scored two runs. After three innings Baltimore led 10-3.

The Yankees rebounded scoring two in the next inning. After 4 innings, Baltimore had doubled the Yankee run production and led 10-5.

In the 6th inning, Esteban Loaiza was the pitcher so obviously the Orioles cored some more. He gave up a single and triple which scored three runners. After 6 innings, Baltimore held a 13-5 lead.

The Yankees rebounded again in the top of the 7th as Olerud and Cairo drove in three runners. They had pulled within five after 7.5 innings cutting the O’s lead to 13-8. However, just as the Yankees were getting excited Melvin Mora hit a homer in the bottom of the 8th to end the scoring.

Just like that, the Yankees lost on another strong pitching performance.

FIELD OF DREAMS

I’ve been in between jobs for the past two weeks and sleeping 14 hours a day, so I may be imagining all of this. But I think it’s legitimate.

It certainly seems like Boston (84-54) is playing like the best team in baseball. While watching the Red Sox these days, it’s hard not to feel like Manny Ramirez in his ad spot for Olympia Sports. In his memorable acting debut, Ramirez picks up a pair of Reeboks and drifts away into his own world (talk about typecasting) with thoughts of winning the World Series dancing through his head. Such a scenario seemed laughable a few weeks ago, but is it really just a pipe dream now?

At the beginning of August, the underachieving Sox were coming off a three-month rut of .500 ball. Now, only two teams in the major leagues – the Cardinals (93-46) and Yankees (86-52) – have better records. The Red Sox have won 20 of their last 22 contests, and just finished a nine-game stretch against American League West powers Anaheim, Texas and Oakland with just one loss. Having once trailed by 10 games in the A.L. East, they now sit just two behind first-place New York and have built a five-game cushion over Anaheim in the Wild Card standings.

Boston’s dominance has been multifaceted. The Dominican Demolition Duo of Ramirez (38 HR, 111 RBI) and David Ortiz (36 HR, 124 RBI) leads the way, but this is a lethal lineup from top to bottom. Johnny Damon (.389 OBP) is enjoying the finest of his 10 major league seasons and leads the A.L. with 108 runs scored, while Jason Varitek (.402 OBP) has hit in 14 straight games and provided a major boost to the middle of the order. The starting rotation has been outstanding, as Derek Lowe (14-10, 5-0 in last six starts), Tim Wakefield (11-8, 4-2) and Bronson Arroyo (8-9, 4-1) have elevated their play to accompany the stellar Pedro Martinez (16-5) and Curt Schilling (18-6). The Sox are putting on a clinic defensively, with everyone from Gold Glove shortstop Orlando Cabrera to unheralded Dave Roberts showcasing the skills with the leather. Simply put, Boston is making opponents look silly.

Most of the Greater Boston populace expected the Sox to be contenders in 2004, but seriously, who are these guys and what have they done with our baseball team? A sign that we may be living in some kind of parallel universe came last night when ESPN commentators suggested that last night’s series finale against Oakland – an 8-3 Sox victory – was particularly important to the A’s from a psychological perspective. Pre-game talk centered on the A’s needing a win to prove that they can compete with Boston, to build confidence in the event that the teams meet again in the postseason. Think about that for a moment. Analysts are giving the Boston Red Sox a mental edge in a possible playoff battle. Hell has officially frozen over.

Of course, all this has merely set the stage. The Red Sox have completed the main objective of all teams during first five months of the season in that they have gotten themselves in position to make a playoff run. Actually making it to, and thriving under the pressure of October is an entirely different matter, however, especially with heightened expectations. The way the Red Sox are built, nothing short of the American League pennant will seem satisfactory, and that’s a long way off.

But it’s fun to dream. Please don’t wake me.

UP NEXT: Wakefield takes the mound tonight in the first of four games at Seattle (51-87). The last-place Mariners will counter with rookie Bobby Madritsch (3-2). Despite a disappointing season and seven straight losses, Seattle has drawn national attention due to outfielder Ichiro Suzuki’s pursuit of the single-season hits record. Ichiro is currently hitting an absurd .377, and needs 30 hits in the next 24 games to tie the mark of 257 set by George Sisler in 1920. Schilling, Arroyo and Lowe will pitch the following three nights at Safeco Field, before the Red Sox return home to take on the Devil Rays Tuesday.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU: Sox fans everywhere are grateful for pitching standout Kevin Brown removing himself from the Empire’s starting rotation. After a sub-par outing last Friday, Brown broke his non-pitching hand while punching a wall in a fit of rage – a tough blow to a team whose pitching staff is already short-handed. With his immaturity, the right-hander has given quite the favor to surging Boston, which is looking for its first division title since 1995 and has six head-to-head matchups remaining with the Yanks. The playoff prospects for both clubs are looking strong with Boston’s Wild Card lead at five games, but the A.L. East race is still important. Can the Sox continue their unconscious play? How much does New York have left in its tank? One thing is for sure – it will be fun to watch.

Rain Out? The Yankees Should Forfeit

Looks like it is raining.

In all fairness, if the second game also gets washed out, shouldn't the Devil Rays ask our good pal Bud for a forfeit? It would only be fair.

Think about it. The Yankees asked for a forfeit, because weather hindered play. Well, The Rays don't get to play because it is raining in New York, for which I blame The Boss.

But wait, Tampa Bay is not pure evil, they play for fun and to win a game occasionally, like a team with a $29 million payroll should. Another involved with the game plays to win at all costs, even if that includes destroying and sucking the life out of it as they go.

Isn't it also a coincidence it rains the same day that Loaiza pitches.

There is something weird going on here.

Yankee Science

George Steinbrenner should pull out the "golden checkbook" and purchase a team of staff scientists, because lately the Yankees have looked like the red-headed step-children of Enrico Fermi.

Yankees on Physics
Newton said "Objects in motion tend to stay in motion." The Yankees still have not realized this as they continue to fall in the standings and the Red Sox continue to rise. Only by applying equal and opposite pressure may they climb out of their slump and regain their separation in the A.L. East.

Newton also said "Objects at rest tend to stay at rest." Kevin Brown didn't realize this when he punched his throwing hand against the wall, crushing his precious metacarpels and the Yankees pitching rotation. Even an armchair physicist would have said "Kevin, the wall is anchored by concrete and steel. The force exerted by your hand is not strong enough to break through the wall matter, but is strong enough to shatter your tiny little bones. I would consider not punching the wall, or, if you must, hit it with your left hand." After surgery, Kevin will be out for a minimum of 3 weeks.

Yankees on Meteorology
Any meteorologist would have been able to tell Big Stein that a heated mass of moisture and low pressure can cause winds in excess of 200 M.P.H. which devastate homes and the families of those in Eastern Atlantic climates. Hurricanes also can cause Major League Baseball teams to cancel their flights to New York.

Yankees on Psychology
Mr. Steinbrenner obviously suffers from Impulse Control Disorder (ICD) which causes him to spend money at the drop of a hat. Having a nickname for your preferred method of payment, such as "the Golden Checkbook" is a tell-tale sign of ICD.

If the Red Sox come any closer to leading the division, I am sure that a number of Yankees will come down with Trichotillomania - a disorder which causes the inflicted to pull their own hair out as a means of tension relief.

Yankees on Chemistry
A chemist on hand could analyze the effects of HGH and Anabolic Steroids on the human pituitary gland. This also has cost benefits to Mr. Steinbrenner as finding out the exact cause of Jason Giambi's tumor could lead to lower insurance premiums for Yankees who are currently following the Giambi supplementation program.

Yankees on Biology
Parasites, tumors, viruses, and frequent urination on one's self (may be pyschological as well) are all issues that are well suited for a staff biologist. Also, the most disgusting of the issues can be kept in-house instead of being farmed out to other biology firms. This might suppress the results from leaking to the press.

This Week's Top Ten

Mel Stottlemyre's Top Ten Least-Effective Pitching Tips

10. Swing with your left. (ThrowsLikeAGirl)

9. We all know the Indians can't hit -- so just throw it in there. (Tbernhard)

8. Pitch to Ortiz. (goatboy331)

7. Just do what you've been doing all year, Mike. (lemon_ryan)

6. If you disagree with a call, remind the umpire that you make a lot more than the batter, which makes you a better player. (Allowat164)

5. A nice slow pitch might confuse the batter. (weissmanjack)

4. After all those home runs, you're DUE for a strikeout! (Qjer73)

3. Everybody loses. The important thing is to act really upset afterward. (EddieD)

2. Don't look at me; you're the one making $8 million. (RubenSierraOnRye)

And this week's number one:

1. Take your aggression out on a wall. (xerogleba2)

Next week's question:

Top Ten Signs Joe Torre Has Lost His Mind

Enter by filling out the form on the right side of our home page, or send your entry to: topten@yankeessuck.com

Twelfth Night

I held as long as I could, but to all you people who said the Astros were out of it, one word.......

The Stros won their twelfth straight, beating the Reds for 8th straight time (5-2). 12 in a row ties Tampa Bay for the longest winning streak in the majors this year and the Astros don't plan on slowing down.

I recall 14 or so days ago, after there most recent loss to the Cubs, I claimed (after many people abused me, saying that the Astros Suck), that they would have to win the last 3 games of the series, in order to have any chance of getting to the postseason. They haven't lost since.

For those who doubt the rotation behind Oswalt and Clemens I pity you. Carlos Hernández is better then his ERA suggests. Munro has been averagely consistent .And Taking out his most recent start against the Cubs (the last Houston loss), Brandon Backe (BACK-ee) is 2-0 with 0.45 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP, in 3 starts.

The Astros are currently tied for first in the Wild Card, but depending on the other results today, the could claim sole possession by the end of the day. And yes, I am fully aware that the Cubs have a lot more games in hand.

Fact: Houston is built for the postseaon, Chicago is not.

Georgie Looks For Free Lunch

The situation with the Yankees-Devil Rays forfeit scenario has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous in the last couple of days. Now ESPN Radio is reporting that the Yankees are sending a bill to Major League Baseball for expenses from Monday’s non-doubleheader in which the Yankees offered fans free soda and hot dogs for their trouble in waiting for Monday’s game to start.

I mean, come on. How much more of this garbage do we have to hear from this franchise? Why, exactly, is the major league office being sent a bill? How about some cutback on the $194 million dollar team payroll next season to recover some of the cos