Yankees Troubles Mount

It hasn't blown yet, but Mount Steinbrenner is dangerously close to another seismic eruption! One more loss and George is sure to have a new manager, third baseman, or quadruple bypass.

And at this point, who could blame him.

The Yankees have scored a total of two runs in the last three days. During that time, if such a statistic existed, their RPD (Runs Per Day) would be .666! Spooky isn't it. Maybe there was some significance to loosing two out of three to the Angels.

On a day when the Yankees literally could not buy a run, Toronto's 27 year-old $10 million ace - Roy Halladay out dueled the Yankees 41 year-old $16 million "Little Unit."

The Yankees are 6-9 at home so far this year, and this will be their first loosing April since 1991 when they finished the year 71-91. Ah, those were the days. Players like Don Mattingly, Bernie Williams, and C-Rod.

Schilling Retracts Piniella "Idiot" Comment

Curt Schilling today issued a press release reversing his harsh comments about Tampa Bay Devil Ray manager Lou Piniella, saying it was a “gross misstatement.” He asked that a congressional hearing be convened at which he could clarify his feelings on Piniella’s intellect, offer some suggestions as to how Piniella might better motivate his team, and share his 12-point plan for decreasing fighting in baseball.

The reversal was a welcome surprise for baseball executives, who were growing concerned about the bad blood between the Red Sox and Devil Rays, feeling that it would detract from the bad blood between the Red Sox and Yankees.

The statement from Schilling attempted to explain his sudden change of heart.

“At first, I thought I heard all the Devil Ray players saying that Lou was an idiot. Then I thought, maybe it was only a few of them. Truth is, I wasn’t on the field. But I could see their lips moving, and it sure looked like they were saying ‘Lou’s an idiot’. But maybe it was ‘Ouch my tibia.’ Either way, Lou’s idiocy is clearly not a pervasive problem.”

His statement continued:

“As the son of a man who served almost two decades in the United States Army as a member of the 101st Airborne Division, with a brother-in-law who served in Vietnam, a cousin that served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Carl Vincent, another cousin who recently finished his service in the United States army as a member of the Army Rangers, Green Berets, and finally the Delta Force, and a third-cousin-twice-removed who once killed a squirrel with his bare hands, I am undeniably a heroic figure. This makes me uniquely qualified to assess any situation with confidence, as well as change my mind decisively. Lou was an idiot before, and now he’s not.”

Schilling’s request for another congressional hearing was unprecedented, and is being mulled by members of Congress.

“Oh, Christ,” muttered Senator John McCain, reached by phone for a reaction to Schilling’s comments. “This means he’s going to start calling again. He thinks we’re friends, calls me ‘The McCainster.’ This is off the record, right?”

Angels 3 Satan 1

Although Yankee starter Kevin Brown had his best game of the season, the Yankee bats fell silent. A-Rod went 0-4 dropping his batting average to .305, and ending his brief stint as a "Real Yankee."

Twice during the game, he killed a rally by making the final out. In the bottom of the first, he struck out looking with two runners on. In the fifth inning, after Jeter scored on a Matsui double, A-Rod grounded out to third to end the inning.

Singing in the Rain

I wanted to believe they would play today -- how often do the fates conspire to have the first opening at the orthopedist be on the first weekday day game? Not only that, my orthopedist is only a hop, skip and t-ride from Fenway. But, like Homer Simpson, I spent this afternoon railing at the skies yelling, "Oh cruel fate, why do you mock me?"

After my late morning orthopedist appointment I leave wearing a silly splint for the next 8 weeks (that means I won't be able to wear my ancient Rawlings glove with the stamped Mickey Mantle endorsement during that time frame), I arrive at Fenway around noontime and have chance to really think about some of the changes that have been happening at Fenway over the past couple of years.

Because I bought a program outside the stadium last week in Baltimore, I decided to buy inside this week and was shocked at the $4 asking price for programs. Quoth the raven, "Eat my shorts," from now on Baseball Underground will get my $2.

One nice thing about the changes, I could eat at Fenway even though it was Passover because I could get steak tips and fries. These weren't just any old tips either - they were juicy and tender and spiced to perfection - unfortunately they were also a bit pricey, but damn they were good. Making my way to my last minute grand stand seat, I realized I was cold. I went downstairs to see how much a blanket cost, balked at the price and filled out the credit card application for the free blanket.

Here's the thing about the credit cards and why I haven't bothered with the current round of fan cards. Remember back in the days before the MLB organization had a stranglehold on everything? Back then, the Red Sox credit card meant using it donated money to the Jimmy Fund - so you were doing a good deed by spending money. I could get behind that and I ask the woman taking the applications about the charity thing. She looks at me blankly and says that "It shows you support your team," (whatever that means) before asking if I prefer a t-shirt or a blanket.

I couldn't believe that was a serious question, but I politely asked for my blanket -- so much for the sick kids.

Topside I wanted to get a sense of whether or not the game was on. Still no official word so I began to chat with an older usher who looked like he had been there for years. He told me umbrellas weren't allowed in the park and I thought he was kidding. I stood for a moment looking out over the tarp on the field and empty box seats when he said, "You're making me look bad."

"You mean you weren't kidding about umbrellas?"

"No, I'm not. You can't have umbrellas in here."

Back down to the concourse to pay $8 for a plain red poncho and tuck away my umbrella with a sigh. At the souvenir stand I find out that they don't have the classic ceramic bobble head dolls anymore, only plastic things. I asked about the bobble ankle doll and the guy shrugs. (I find out, after I get home) that the wives were having a press conference about that while I was freezing my patooties off - whatever a patootie is).

Since it was warmer on the concourse than my seats, I decide to meander around. I don't qualify for the free Red Sox sweatshirt the Globe is giving out because I'm "the ultimate customer" -- meaning I get it home delivered 7 days a week and pay for it via their preferred method. I point out that if I am indeed the "ultimate customer," doesn't that count for something? Apparently not, so I'm still cold, damp and about to go wrap myself in a fleece blanket to watch some soggy boys of summer cheer me up.

Back up top, in my seat, the scoreboard now flashes that they anticipate a 2:00 start time. With another sigh, I head back down to keep warm and watch the brass trio and balloon guy doing their things. I left them tips, if for no other reason than they put on a good show and deserve to make some cash.

I can't get a beer, its Passover, so I'm actually drinking water at a Sox game. It is nice to know that if you want a beer they now serve something other than watered-down college brew. Shaking my head, I head back to my seat to wait. Behind me a mother is making up stories for her kids about the team as they wait as patiently as kids can in these kinds of situations.

At times, one kid or the other will look at the scoreboard and announce how many more minutes to go. By now the park is starting to get a bit crowded and the rain is slowing down to a heavy drizzle.

On the scoreboard and PA system they play the complete version of Mike Oldfield's opus, "Tubular Bells" while showing a history of the Sox type film. My husband calls me to find out the game's status just as they show Tony C. being hit and removed from the field on a stretcher (it still makes me wince when I see it). He isn't interested in that -- just when I think I'll be home for dinner.

By now I've adjusted and readjusted the blanket and I'm freezing. With another resigned sigh, I head back down to the souvenir stand to get a sweatshirt - all the while vowing never to believe a weatherman again when they say warm and rainy. I bite the bullet and pull out my card (not a Red Sox one - if I can't help sick kids by spending money, I'll earn free books) to buy an on-field fleece jersey. To add insult to injury, all he has left is small and XXL. I haven't been small in decades, so I opt for the extra roomy size.

Now I'm warm and I'm set to watch the game and start back to my seats only to have a crowd of people meet me at the walkway. The Sox have just cancelled the game.

At least the pitching staff gets an extra day of much needed rest with two of our starters on the DL. (Hey Schilling, the next time the fans are screaming "pull out" that loudly in the fourth - please listen.)

"Damn," I say out loud, "ten minutes earlier and I wouldn't have bought the damn fleece."

Figuring I won't get this opportunity again for a while, I decide to wander over to Pesky's pole and touch it for good luck. People are signing it, so I borrow a pen and add "Karlsie '05" to the growing number of signatures on there.

By the time I leave the park and walk to the train, most of the crowds are gone. At least half a dozen scalpers ask if I'm selling my ticket. I offer to trade for a Buffett lawn seat but they walk away. The train home has seats available, so I get to sit down for a change -- an unexpectedly pleasant treat.

I know that a reschedule is a tricky thing - both teams are out on the road right now and the next time they meet up in Fenway is the end of May -- during graduation season. In the end, it was a different kind of day at Fenway. Not the one I was expecting or hoping for, but certainly one that I can accept.

Getting Their Money's Worth

In a life that had been the definition of easy and effortless, the last 15 months must have been utterly maddening for Alex Rodriguez. In his first year as a Yankee, he put up statistics that most players would have given their pancreas for, but the numbers were dismissed as not Rodriguez-caliber. In the playoffs, after a solid divisional series, he fell apart in the ALCS. The final indignity was the now famous "slap-play," where attempted hustle was viewed as attempted cheating. Want more? There are probably more pictures of Rodriguez on the internet right now with purple lipstick and a purse then with a glove and bat. It's been a fast drop for the best player in baseball. It certainly wouldn't be far-fetched to assume that, during some sleepless night, staring at the ceiling, Rodriguez has asked himself, "What have I got to do?"

Well tonight we have the answer: 3 Home runs and 10 RBIs in one game.

To listen to Yankee fans right now, Rodriguez has finally arrived. It required one of the most productive nights in the 100+ year history of baseball for them to say, "OK, this is what we paid for." One week's production in 3 hours.

It is only one game; it does not signal redemption anymore than the last 15 months deserved condemnation. But for the first time in his Yankee career, Alex Rodriguez has the right answer to the question, "What have you done for me lately?"

Quite a-freaking-lot.

I believe Alex Rodriguez is a good man who's been handled his entire life, the boy king who inherited the throne at 10 and has no idea how real folks cope. He's getting a lesson, one that he's been able to avoid until now. It's the lesson of adversity, of how to fight through a persistent case of mortality. What's most frightening about how Alex Rodriguez comes through this lesson? He might actually wind being a better baseball player.

A few years from now, when Alexander Rodriguez is entrenched at third base or shortstop or where ever he decides he wants to play for the Yankees, the second-guessing and ridicule of 2005 will be a distant memory-- for most. Those who called for his trade, or benching, or summary execution will orphan those comments faster than you can say fairweather.

This is part of the lesson for Rodriguez: you don't get to say I told you so. That is the privilege of being a New York fan-- we reserve the right to change our minds, daily if necessary, to reflect what we see on the field. After 30 years, enough of George Steinbrenner has seeped into our marrow that we've become him. We want what we want when we want it. And nobody knows that any better right now than Alex Rodriguez.

A-Rod EXPLODES!

Tonight, anyway, Alex Rodriquez doesn't suck. Playing against the Los Angeles Angels, A-Rod went 5-4 with 10 RBI's. The Yankees won 12-4.

Here are the gory details:

First inning:
A-Rod homered to deep left center, Jeter and Matsui scored.

Third inning:
A-Rod homered to deep left, Sheffield scored

Fourth inning:
A-Rod homered to deep center, Williams, Matsui and Jeter scored

Sixth inning:
A-Rod cools off, and singles to center, Williams scored.

He later flied out to center to put an end to our misery.

Meanwhile in Boston even though Manny Ramirez halved that RBI total with 5, the Orioles won the game 11-8. Foulke was sitting on a an 8-7 lead when he entered the game in the eighth but served up two two-run homers to loose a save opportunity and the game.

Too Much Northern Exposure

The Blue Jays bandwagon seems to be breaking down already. All around Ontario, fans were cheering for the Jays, sportscasters were leading off broadcasts with them, and Canadians were excited about the Jays for the first time in a while. But it seemed to be empty hope. "Well sure, the Jays are playing well now, but they can’t stay that way forever." the Blue Jays have seemingly become the Rudy of Toronto sports teams. The Raptors are a franchise in disarray, the Leafs aren’t around right now, and The Toronto Argos of the CFL (which you’ve never heard of) were the champs last year. Every year the Blue Jays give us JUST enough hope to hurt us. But most fans here have no hope, and have doubted the team since the 1994 strike.

I have reduced the feelings of most fans here about the Jays into a simple equation: You meet a nice, friendly, attractive girl. However, before you ask her out, your friends convince you that you have no chance, she would never go out with you, etc. You proceed to ask her out, in a hard-hearted and porous attempt, rather than BLAMING the girl for being a snob and not dating you. This is how I see most Blue Jays fans, putting in weak attempts to cheer for the team while expecting failure. Now mind you, last season was disheartening, but no team ever wins without fan support. The attendance at Blue Jays games is not up substantially, so chances are the fans have already resorted into the "Blue Jays suck" routine we usually see at the start of the May.

One more problem with the Blue Jays fans. I read another article at Yankeessuck.com this week about the Red Sox nation in Baltimore. This is a HUGE problem in Toronto (even more so now that the Sox bandwagon is full— it's true, it's true). This week, the Blue Jays had three HUGE series against their AL East rivals, Boston, NY, and Baltimore. Since at least 50% of those crowds were cheering against them (although it was not the only reason) the Jays dropped ALL of those games. THREE sweeps in a row!!!! But, the Jays are still ahead of the Yankees in the division, which shows you how buried they really were.

As far as a prediction for what this division will look like in a month, I’d be interested in finding out which team can get their average ERA below 4.50. I think Baltimore has the best ERA in this division right now, and that is NOT a good thing.

Just Wondering... How do two benches empty in two days and no punches are thrown? I mean, baseball brawls are probably the funniest to watch. Most of these guys aren’t tough, they don’t get hit, baseball is a "finesse" sport. Which is why you get guys like Pedro dumping Zimmer, or nobody ever fighting a catcher, because apart from maybe a few power hitters, nobody is beating up a catcher.

...and A Reminder...
Everybody remember to start filling out your All-Star ballots! In APRIL?? Doesn’t that just guarantee the hugest popularity contest in sports history? This is FAR too early for All-Star balloting…but at least on the plus side there aren’t any Yankees getting in!

Brew-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Nothing like a little rough and tumble baseball to get things going. Why there is this sudden growth of bad blood between the AAA Rays and our Sox is odd, but sometimes the engine needs some revving to really get going. Varitek v. ARod last year helped to springboard the Sox back into the playoff picture and maybe this will help gel this year's edition of the Red Sox and they can really start to take advantage of the slumping Yankees. After all, four games is just not enough. Bottom line: The Rays had it coming. Their AAA starters managed to hit three Red Sox batters in the first two games and after Aubrey Huff was nicked in the bottom of the sixth today, Sweet Lou and his Rays started throwing at heads. Rays pitcher Lance Carter deserved to have Trot and Papi practice jabs on his face but fortunately cooler heads prevailed.

Blaine Neal and a coach (I think) both deserve some credit for keeping Nixon at bay or he was likely to do something really dumb and detrimental to himself and the team. The bigger issue this weekend is the fact that the Sox were unable to increase their lead over the Yanks despite the Evil Empire getting pounded by Texas. Every game matters and losses to the AAA Rays are tough to swallow, even in April.

In the basement

I couldn't believe my eyes. Yet there it was on my screen: the Yankees are in last place in the AL East. Yes, even the Devil Rays have passed the Yankees on the tote board. If the truth be told, I am keeping a cautious eye for the four horsemen of the apocalypse to come galloping down the street. (Did you know that if you dial three 6's on your Verizon cell phone you get James Earl Jones voice welcoming you to Verizon? I ask you, how scary is that?)

Now granted there was no reason for the Sox to have blown last night's and tonight's games. During the fourth inning - when we were still leading, I was screaming, "Where's Timlin damn it? You should be warming up Timlin!" I knew that they were going for the requisite amount for Schilling to get the win, I also knew that Schilling wasn't going to last. But, as Stewart O'Nan pointed out in "Faithful," you have to yell really loud for the players on the TV to hear you. Apparently I wasn't yelling loud enough because Francona didn't hear me in time.

Why is it that I, as a fan, can look at Schilling and say, "The man won't be back in full form until at least Memorial Day," but the experts don't see that? Sorry, but I'm middle aged and I know how hard it is to recover from injuries I barely noticed in my youth. For example, I'm typing this with my right pinky finger wrapped in a "flexible" splint (read an Ace bandage that adheres to it self - medical technology can be pretty cool these days), trying to work around the letters I would normally type with that finger. I injured myself almost two weeks ago and, not just a few years ago; I would have been back to normal in no time. But now I need to take anti-inflammatories and do finger therapy for a dislocated joint in my pinky finger. I guess that will teach me to shelve books at work.

If I have to do all that for a finger boo-boo, I can't even begin to imagine how long it will really take Schilling to be fully back from some major surgery on his ankle — especially given the amount of wear and tear he puts it through. But logic dictates that if he has two strong innings and then begins to fade in the third and fourth, you have a stable of relievers to keep him healthy. You leave him in four innings tonight and pull him the first sign of trouble in the fifth to hell with the W. Then, next game, you plan on three strong innings, then four and so on. That's how you come back and strengthen from an injury.

But what do I know, I'm not making the big bucks and the demand on me carrying a team to victory are practically nil compare to what Schilling faces; however, I'd still be looking at a far bigger picture and doing my best to help him keep his eye on it too.

Perhaps it is the money that is ruining the game. I think about what Steinbrenner is paying out to be in last place. (I know, I know, it's only April and we're not even 20 games into the season yet - but how often are the Yankees EVER in last place?) I think about what we're paying our guys. Perhaps we're all missing a point. I know that playing injured is the mark of a pro — but aren't we all really fouling things up all the way around. Shortened careers, frustrated fans (Hi there owners, remember us? We're the reason you're dining on prime rib in your luxury boxes while we're hustling for tickets anywhere and everywhere we can get them), luxury taxes that feel pointless — all these are a direct result of too much money and too much pressure.

Yes, I do pine away for my $3 bleacher seats and the beer man. Yes, I know they aren't coming back — at least not to Fenway. But I miss the days when players had to get a real job when they were done with baseball. They played with a level of something that just isn't there any more. It isn't old school/new school/whatever; it is an entirely different world all together.

Well, the one comfort I have tonight: the Yankees are in the basement and we're one game out of first and there is something sweet in that knowledge.

Yankee Fans Demand Win

New York Police had more than they could handle over night as a large group of Yankee fans gathered near City Hall to call for a federal investigation into the Yankees' early season struggles.

Chanting "We Pay More, We Deserve More" and "If We Wanted to Lose, We'd Live in Kansas City," the group began to gather shortly after the Yankees' loss to the Texas Rangers, and grew in size and righteous indignation as the evening turned to morning.

“We’re calling for Mayor Bloomberg to get involved, because there is clearly something vile and corrupt at work in the Yankee organization,” said protest organizer, season ticket holder, and New York lawyer Ben Arnold. “On Monday, we are filing a suit in city court requiring the Yankees to immediately cease and desist from losing. We are also demanding a World Series victory as rightful compensation for our pain and suffering over the past 3 weeks.”

A nearby Starbucks stayed open throughout the night, providing the crowd with free mocha-frappa-wappa-lattes, which only seemed to fuel their simmering displeasure.

“I’m a busy man,” said investment banker Ken Matthews. “I’ve got a big job with huge, important responsibilities, and a family that I see mostly on weekends. I need to know that certain things in my life are just going to be there, and the Yankees’ winning is one of them.”

Some wondered aloud what sort of impact the Yankees 7-11 record would have on their children.

“I won’t let my daughter watch TV or read the newspaper,” said suburban housewife Jan Smith. “I can’t have her seeing this sort of thing. Next thing you know, she’ll think it’s OK for her soccer team to lose. What happens next? Where does it stop?”

Arnold also revealed that the police were being petitioned to issue arrest warrants for Kevin Brown and Bernie Williams.

“They are simply violating our standards of decency,” he explained. “They need to be taken off the street.”

At a certain point, a man wearing a Milwaukee Brewers hat wandered through the crowd, and things got tense. He was showered with chants of “Small Market Loser” and “Give Us Ben Sheets or we’ll buy Milwaukee and call it New York West” as police ushered him past the highly caffeinated crowd.

City Hall had no comment.

Enough is Enough... Again

What do the Yankees and a frozen microwave burrito have in common?

Besides causing heartburn, they're both at 7-11!

In the latest Yankee defeat, this time by a score of 10 to 2 against Texas in the "House that Ruth Built," we saw another abysmal performance by the $100 million New York Yankee pitching staff. Over the first 5.1 innings, Jaret Wright gave up 11 hits and 4 earned runs. He also gave up 2 unearned runs on his own error!

Five more Yankee pitchers yielded another 4 runs over the final 3.2 innings. One of them, Buddy Groom, is another Yankee pitcher who would find it hard to find a spot on any over 40 baseball roster.

Also, since "The Boss," declared "Enough is Enough," and threatened his team to shape up "or else," the Yankees are 3-3 against Tampa Bay, Toronto and Texas.

So, what will George do to carry out his threat?

"Nation" Building in Baltimore

"There's definitely a Red Sox Nation out there," my son, Mr. Pi (that's pi as in 3.14 not pie as in "I'll have the apple pie with vanilla ice cream") stated and I can honestly add that last night there was a fair amount of its citizens in Camden Yards.

We've been staying at one of these suite-style hotels - you know the sitting room with the pull out sofa and kitchenette with an adjoining bedroom that has two queen beds and free breakfast buffet. Perfect for business types that need to spread out and families who don't want to be cramped with kids everywhere rather than pay for a second room. At breakfast over the past couple of days we've been seeing more and more Red Sox hats, t-shirts and sweatshirts. I've met families from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut who have doubled up on school vacation and the Sox-O's match up in Baltimore.

Last night, I taught my Pi-guy about keeping score. I've tried before but he's now 13 and has the patience for it. I bought the unofficial program for $2 outside the park — a habit I developed after the Sox raised their price years ago and changed around the score card placement so you had to deal with the ads and the baseball underground responded with a real score card for a buck. As they say: don't wait for the wind to change, be the wind and change direction. Guys like the baseball underground and sites like this have been doing just that.

Of course in Baltimore, the unofficial program has the "Baseball for Morons" score card. No place to record pitches or subtleties, only the basic spreadsheet style: big boxes and a couple of lines to record things like attendence, game start/end/time and so forth. I know there are those who argue there is more creativity with a blank sheet of paper. but then I'd pull a Stephen King and score in the back of books I'm reading while watching the game. No, I want a score card that does a bunch of the work for me and I'll manipulate it from there. On the other hand, the simpler card worked for teaching purposes.

I showed Pi how to draw the diamond and arc diagram that shows player positions my oldest brother taught me decades ago. I originally started recording pitches but going to a game with my husband and kids isn't conducive to that - in fact, as a result of explaining to my engineer of a husband about how an ERA is calculated and why you want a low one - I missed the balk called on Chen. He kept asking why I keep score when I go to games when I don't do anything with them. The only answer I really have is because, like Sir Edmund Hillary, I can.

Also I take notes in the blank boxes. For example, in the first inning I have noted next to Millar's name, "Beer in plastic bottles in the stand - who knew?" Across the first two innings next to the Surhoff, Matos, Gill spots in the order I have: "How does it feel to hear "Let's go Red Sox" echoing through your home park?" A counter note in the 5th next to Tejada is "They just can't get noise going for the O's."

Because the oldest has to go back to Boston early to work and finish up a couple of her papers for her senior classes, my husband leaves the park with some of the kids at the end of the 7th to find the Amtrak station - leaving just me and Mr. Pi.

In the 8th I called my sister-in-law back in Boston to tell her about our seats, she tells me you can hear "Let's Go Red Sox" chanting on the TV throughout the game. As the saddened O's fan began retreating to beat traffic, Pi and I started sneaking down into the field seats from section 69. I have to do this surreptitiously as one of the ushers took an immediate dislike to me when we came in. I can tell he's keeping his eye on me as we start down the first time and I have to feign pausing to watch the play by the entryway with my son until he's distracted - then we walk over a few sections and start moving down. Each time we end up next to more Sox fans, finally ending up a few rows from the field - the closest he's ever been to a professional game.

As the players are changing up to start the 9th, people start chanting, "Its all over" and I silence Pi.

"Honey, you've been spoiled in your short lifetime," I tell him. "These are the Sox, they could blow it in the 9th and have people talking about the best game ever tomorrow." I tell him about how the '67 Sox turned things around and how that had to hold me until '75 and '78 and '86. I ask him, "in your lifetime, how many times have they come close and won it?"

"A lot," he replies.

"That's my point. By the time I was your age, I only had '67."

In the end, we won 8-0 and Pi repeatedly thanked me. He thanked me for buying him a Sox cap so he wouldn't have to wear the Yankee Haters one. He thanked me for taking him to the game and sneaking up so he could see it close up for once. He thanked me for a good time and all that sort of stuff.

I fear though that he has finally turned into one of the most pathetic creatures on earth: a Sox fan, just like his mom.

Yanks Bats Heat Up

Another night of offense for the New York Yankees. Carl Pavano and Ted Lilly faced off Wednesday night in Toronto. Pavano looked strong for the first time in his Yankee career as he went 8 innings, allowing 2 runs, 1 earned, strikeout out three and allowing 7 base hits.

Ted Lilly, a former Yankee, looked like a Yankee tonight. Lilly gave up 6 hits, 6 runs (all earned), two walks, and walking two in three and a third innings pitched.

In the fourth inning, Ruben Sierra left the game due to right elbow stiffness (most likely from the injections he received). His steroid counterpart entered the game, Jason Giambi. Giambi did a good job at the plate. Giambi went 0 for 2, walking once, striking out once, scoring one run on a Jorge Posada homerun, and leaving an amazing four Yankees on base. It was a stellar performance as you would imagine from the BALCO boy.

Although you would not think someone could out hit Giambi, Sheffield put forth an amazing string of at bats. Sheffield went 2 for 6, with 0 RBI, 0 runs scored, 2 strikeouts and 6 men left on base. As you can see, the BALCO boys had an amazing day at the plate.

Toronto will hinder the Yankee bats Thursday as Gustavo Chacín (3-0, 1.42 ERA, 0.89 WHIP) will duel it out with Mike Mussina (0-1, 4.32 ERA, 1.86 WHIP) in Toronto.

Not Such a Big "O"-rdeal

Going into Wednesday night's game, the Baltimore Orioles offense was third in runs scored, tied first for homeruns, and had the highest batting average.

However, David Wells' pitching stifled the O's lineup, throwing eight innings, striking out five, walking one and allowing only three hits.

Brian Roberts, who was on fire this season, had his 14 game hit streak come to an end tonight as he put forth an 0-for.

Manny Ramirez, who recently came out of a hitting slump, put together a nice string of at bats tonight as he was 2 for 2, with a run scored, a double, one RBI, and two walks.

Captain Jason Varitek went 2 for 3, with 3 runs scored, one walk, and a three run blast off of Bruce Chen in the 6th inning. It was his 4th homerun of the season.

This was the second time Baltimore has been shut out this year. Oakland achieved this on April 6th. That was another game in which Baltimore had only 3 hits.

This was the second time the Boston Red Sox shutout an opponent this year. David Wells also pitched that game as the Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 10-0.

Matt Clement and Rodrigo López will square off Thursday as the Baltimore offense hopes to rekindle it's fire at 7:05 EST.

A $239 million "Luxury"

Today, George Steinbrenner found out that he has to pay $30,637,531. in luxury taxes to MLB (based on opening day salaries). His 208 million dollar payroll is the highest in MLB so he will have to pay the record highest in luxury taxes ever for a Major League Baseball team. We're guessing Georgie won't be too happy with that — with his pricey team iin second-to-last place.

"For the luxury tax, payrolls are based on the average annual values of contracts for all players on the 40-man roster and include benefits. Under that formula, the Yankees opened with a payroll of $204.6 million, followed by Boston ($131.2 million), the New York Mets ($116.4 million), the Los Angeles Angels ($111.2 million) and Seattle ($109.3 million).

"Teams with payrolls above $128 million owe tax this year. The Yankees pay at a rate of 40 percent for the amount they are over because they will be exceeding the threshold for the third time under the labor contract that began in 2003. The Red Sox, projected to be over for the second time, pay at a 30 percent rate."
writes Ronald Blum of the Associated Press.

If the Yankees were to acquire another player during the season, the tax can only go up.

Yes, The Boston Red Sox also paid a luxury tax, but compared to New York's it's a measly $969,177.

I hope Georgie isn't too mad about a team that is 6-9. Hope it's worth it Mr. Steinbrenner!

Information from the AP was used in this report.

Yanks' Bats Cannot Stay Hot

The New York Yankees produced 19 runs in a pitching melt down Monday, could not keep their offense rolling Tuesday. With their best starter on the mound, the Yankees could not produce enough runs to get the win for Randy Johnson (1-1).

Last time the Yankees won 19-8, they choked for four straight games. Could last night's game predict another gagging episode to come?

As I looked back at the box score for tonight, I decided to compare it to last year's ALCS Game 4. They were both low scoring games. Yankees scored four runs in the ALCS, they scored two Tuesday.

Both games had an error. Tuesday's game featured an error by All-Star, Yankee great, Captain of the Greatest Team Ever: Derek Jeter. While in the ALCS, Tony "The Tiger" Clark made the error.

Both teams that won the game preceding the 19-8 shelling, ended up with 8 hits.

Even though A-Rod had 2 RBI in ALCS Game 4, he also left three people on base in both games (Tuesday he went 0-4). Also, A-Rod struck out once.

In both games, the Yankees produced more hits (12 in the ALCS, 9 Tuesday) and also produced more base runners (19 in the ALCS, 12 Tuesday).

I could not help laughing when I saw the box score to Tuesday's game. Hideo Nomo, who made his first ever start on 3-days rest in his career, pitched a gem — only giving up a run on a steroid-assisted homerun from Jason Giambi. But that is not why I was laughing.

I talked to a Yankee fan last night who was so enthused by the Yankee's coming out party, scoring 19 runs. Yet, they failed to realize that the next day, the team suffers from an offense hangover and they fail to produce enough runs to win the ballgame. It happens to just about any team. For example, the Boston Red Sox scored 12 runs against the Blue Jays on Monday night. Tuesday, the Red Sox only scored 3 runs in a loss to the Blue Jays because they were burned out. Now, to be fair, the Yankees outscored the Red Sox in just one inning Monday night. The Red Sox were facing a former Cy Young pitcher in Roy Halladay.

Also, Tuesday night, the New York Mets scored 16 runs against the Phillies. This was the first time since the days of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants that two teams scored 16+ runs in consecutive days (and this took place in a series between the two ball clubs). I challenge the Mets to score enough runs tomorrow to win the ballgame. I doubt that they will but, if so, I will tip my cap and call them my daddy (Pedro doesn't pitch till Thursday).

Road Trip

I am currently in Baltimore, waiting eagerly to see the Sox play in Camden Yards against the O's. I keep thinking that maybe I'll go to the Babe Ruth museum instead of batting practice. but I'm not sure. I mean batting practice is always cool. Of course, so is the museum (I suppose) and I can always catch batting practice at Fenway next week before the game.

Earlier, at the museum of American History, I was looking at Stan Musial's bat. Just a plain old Louisville Slugger and yet it drove his 3,000 home run. I think about my bat sitting in the trunk of my husband's car and wonder if it dreams of driving in homeruns instead of hitting meatballs tossed by the pitching machine in the batting cages when I'm frustrated.

Then there's Mo Berg, who was a spy. How is it that the Europeans never caught on that a guy from Princeton and going into law school, as well as a third rate player at that point due to his ligament tear was also a spy? Hello people, wake up! He sure as hell wasn't doing a great job in front of or behind the plate. Did they really think the "home movies" he was taking were about vacation memories? Of course, to be fair, we had no clue that the records being burned at the Japanese embassy just before Pearl Harbor were significant.

Ah for the good old days.

Because it's a vacation - I'm on a light load and only reading two books at once on this particular trip: "Faithful" the King/O'Nan book and "Fever Pitch" by Nick Hornby.

For months I've picked up "Faithful," read a page or so, chortled and put it down. I've been meaning to read it all the way through since my husband gave it to me for the holidays (along with my official away shirt with my name on the back and a classic Sox cap - which I wear constantly). "Fever Pitch" is Hornby's memoir about being an Arsenal fan. While I'm not much on soccer, I do know that the Arsenals are the Red Sox of England and they won it all last year as well. It struck me that the things I'm stumbling over in the Hornby book are the exact details I'm eating up with a spoon in the King/O'Nan book. I mean, I don't get soccer. Well, I do, just not at that level.

So when Hornby goes into details about players and plays, I glance through it looking for the meatier human quality of the story. In "Faithful," I can relive every play last season in a Technicolor jumbovision view of the season. I'm willing to bet that there are soccer fans that can do the same in the other direction.

It seems that everywhere I go in the Washington area with my Red Sox cap I get a reaction. People from Boston down for the school vacation are excited to see it. Everywhere you turn you see World Series caps or team t-shirts. At breakfast there was a family from Maine, also here for tonight's game as well as the family vacation in our Nation's Capital. It's like an epidemic.

My son is upset though. He wore his Yankee Haters hat - the one with the YH on there designed to look like the Bankee's logo. Someone in Yankees gear and his kids sat down next to him yesterday, saying he was relieved to find a sympathetic face.

"Um buddy, take a closer look, will you?"

It seems to be a problem for him. Everywhere we go people don't take that close a look. He's had museum guards either high five him or say to me, "How could you let your son wear that when you're wearing a Sox hat?" One guard at a museum high fived my son and then turned to me to say, "We let you have one."

My son told him "You didn't let us have anything. We won because you didn't get away with cheating last year." My son is no fool; he knows that last year's call against A-Rod was the type of thing that would have been missed in the past. It was then he took a good look at the hat.

My son thinks that if he colors the "H" in with a red sharpie, people will get it. I told him not to bother. Like Nilsson's Rock Man: you see what you want to see and hear what you want to hear.

Still, it amazes me that halfway down the Atlantic seaboard where people are getting excited about the Nationals (you should have seen the traffic around RFK stadium last night), that there are more people that no longer see an evil empire - or an empire of any type. They ignore the folks wearing the "New York Spankees" (or, considering the payroll, the Bankees) and open the door for the woman in the Sox hat.

Wild Birds damage Antique Collection

Nearly nine years ago, the Baltimore Orioles lost to an up-and-coming New York Yankees team in an American League Championship Series plagued by the "homerun that wasn’t."

While Birds fans would scorn the name Jeffrey Maier for years to come, the Orioles have plummeted since that ALCS. Unlike the Yankee team which showed promise with such rising stars as Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera, the Orioles roster for years to come was comprised of aging stars past their prime, like Cal Ripken, Brady Anderson, Jesse "Never-Say Retire" Orosco, and Bobby "Will-be-known-in-history-for-batting-behind-Barry-Bonds-once" Bonilla.

After this past weekend’s sweep of the Yankees, it seems that the tides have reversed. The Orioles are the ones with the youth and bright futures, whereas the Yankees are bound for years of misery and fourth-place finishes (unless the Devil Rays have something to say about that).

The Yankees seem to look more-and-more like those past Orioles teams.

Alex Rodriguez is not looking like the player that New York, and Boston, expected last year. The tormented third baseman is looking more and more like Albert Belle’s short-lived career at Camden Yards, where his below-par performance and poor relationships with fans never quite matched the expectations set with his record-breaking contract. Sounding familiar? I think so.

Aging players like Ruben Sierra, Jason Giambi, Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez, and Kevin Brown hobble the Yankee lineup. That along with a dilapidated minor league system, similar to the Orioles farm teams in the late '90s, makes the Yankees' future look dismal. Instead of learning from Angelos’ mistakes, George Steinbrenner has followed down the same path.

Meanwhile, the Orioles are playing in a way that hasn’t been seen in Maryland in eight years. After twelve games, Brian Roberts has shown he’s one of the top second basemen in the league with a .449 batting average and five homeruns. With other up-and-coming stars like Luis Matos, Melvin Mora, and Miguel Tejada, the possibility of a Yankee-like era isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem.

While the Yankees bowed their heads in disbelief, Baltimore has that eccentric attitude as seen in the Red Sox team of last year.

"Three years ago is like a blur," Roberts said. "I don't even remember. I remember not playing well. Really having no life and almost like feeling you were going to lose every time you went out there. We don't act that way anymore. We don't feel that way anymore."

While it may still be April, it’s still a good sign.

Sources: Information from the Washington Post

Yanks respond to spanking

After a scolding by King George, the Yankees went out and trounced Tampa Bay by a score of 19-8. A-Rod went 5-6 with 2 HR's and 6 RBI. And Jaret Wright went 5.1 innings giving up 8 earned runs to pick up the win.

Can anyone remember what happened the last time the Yankees won a game by the score of 19-8? Click here for a fun trip down memory lane.

How Sweep it is!

Mount Steinbrenner erupted again today as his $208 million team got swept (yes, swept, this is not a typo) by the Baltimore Orioles.

Kevin Brown who is being paid more than 15 million dollars this season, made his triumphant return to the Yankees today. Brown had been on the DL since April 2nd with "Lower back stiffness."

Brown went 6 innings, giving up 9 hits, 6 runs (all earned), walking two, striking out 3, and giving up two round trippers.

Miguel Tejada went 3-4 with 1 HR and 4 RBIs. Melvin Mora went 2 for 3, with one homerun, and scored 3 runs.

For the Yankees, A-Rod, who is still trying to gain acceptance by the Yankee "Not-So Faithful" hit a solo-homerun. That did not matter to the outcome to the game. A-Rod seems to get a lot of meaningless homeruns and RBIs (See ALCS Game 3). Hey A-Rod, too bad you can't hit five run homeruns...

Ruben "Hasn't Been Caught Using Steroids...Yet" Sierra jacked another homerun for the Yankees.

The Yankees were brutally beat by the Orioles in Game 1 of the series, 8 to 1. Then the Yankees got out hit by the Orioles in Game 2, 7-6. To complete the sweep, Steve Reed and Baltimore held down the Yankees in Game 3, 8 to 4.

George Steinbrenner spoke about the Yankees after the game.

"Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed as I'm sure all Yankee fans are by the lack of performance by our team."

"It is unbelievable to me that the highest-paid team in baseball would start the season in such a deep funk. They are not playing like true Yankees. They have the talent to win and they are not winning. I expect Joe Torre, his complete coaching staff and the team to turn this around,'' said the Yankees.

Torre commented about Steinbrenner's statement later, "He's right. What are you going to say? I'm not going to dispute that,'' the manager said. "If I try to defend what we've been doing, you'd have to check my sanity. This stuff out here is not pretty. We have to make it better. No question.''

It's 12 games into the season, and Yankee (Bandwagon) Nation has already pressed the Panic Button, repeatedly.

To anyone who is not a Yankee fan: Enjoy!

Information from AP was used in this report.

Jeter The Next Robinson??!!

Jeter the Next Jackie Robinson? Has ESPN.com Lost Its Mind?

In the 37 years I have resided on Planet Earth, I have acquired two heroes�two idols�two icons.

James Marshall Hendrix and Jack Roosevelt Robinson.

My devotion to the stellar works of the former is most likely better given to a different website than this one, but the memory and life of the latter has been unspeakably trivialized � by someone who calls himself a professional sportswriter � and I won�t stand for it.

Today, on the front page of ESPN.com, there resides a story entitled, "Jeter closest we have to modern-day Jackie". I will not paste excerpts of the article, because said article is an ESPN Insider story (that�s right, you have to PAY to read this�), but I will summarize. And then I will tell you why this is the single most disturbing piece of sports "journalism" I have ever read.

The article, written by Gary Gillette, author of ESPN�s Baseball Encyclopedia (more�s the pity�) puts forth the proposition that the statistical and intangible similarities between Robinson and Jeter make the Yankee shortstop the modern-day Jackie. And although Gillette gives a brief conciliatory lip service to the withering obstacles that Robinson faced when he broke baseball�s color barrier in 1947, he�s far more concerned with elevating Jeter to a status he simply does not deserve.

And while Jeter deification is practically a cottage industry in and of itself (see: McCarver, Tim), this really isn�t on Jeter. The truth is that there is NO modern player comparable to Jackie Robinson�and that�s a good thing.

Robinson�s ascent to the majors was the brainchild of Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey � that much we all know. What is given relatively little acknowledgment in the grand scheme of things is that whatever Jackie Robinson did or did not do on the diamond has to be severely mitigated by the fact that not only was he subject to horrific ostracism and cruelty, but he was forced to keep quiet about it for his first two years on the major leagues. Rickey believed (rightly so) that if Robinson answered every curse with a curse�every fight with a fight�that the prejudice against black players would be validated. Rickey asked Jackie Robinson if he had the courage NOT to fight back�and he had selected the right man.

But the price Jackie Robinson paid was unbelievable.

What Gillette never brought up in his article is that Derek Jeter has NEVER had to deal with other players turning their backs on him � in fact, signing a petition that they would not play on the same field as he did. Several Dodgers did so in the spring of 1947, only to be told by Rickey and manager Leo Durocher that if those players did not wish to play with Robinson�well, they could get their releases right away.

Derek Jeter has NEVER had to deal with having his leg gashed open at first base with the spikes of an opponent, as Jackie did by Enos "Country" Slaughter. Derek Jeter has NEVER had to deal with nine innings of contemptuous and obscene racial slurs hurled at him from opposing players and managers. Derek Jeter has NEVER come close to a nervous breakdown because he had to take the lashes alone without retort.

Jackie Robinson did all these things, in part, so that Derek Jeter would never have to.

It is an insult of infinite proportions to compare any modern player to Robinson. It is a locked door to the past and the lessons we have all learned because there were men like Jackie who were courageous enough to elevate America itself, even if he was nearly crushed in the process.

When Gillette actually suggests that Jeter should be allowed � nay, encouraged � to wear Robinson�s retired #42 on the back of his own jersey, he commits the unforgivable sin of shoving aside a priceless legacy in favor of a quick pen and a likely directive to again spin Derek Jeter onto a level he wouldn�t have the slightest idea how to handle.

When you look at Robinson�s career numbers, you must consider the mitigating factors. You cannot throw those intangibles away.

Simply put, Jackie Robinson was one of the greatest athletes in American history � excelling in baseball, football, basketball and track � and had he enjoyed the advantages of a level playing field, there�s little doubt his numbers would have been far better.

But the numbers don�t really matter. Jackie Robinson had to be good enough to back up his mission, and he was. That�s all I care about. I don�t care what his career average was. I don�t care how many bases he stole. When an athlete so obviously transcends simple numbers, he has earned the right to be judged with a larger view by those who analyze such things.

Unless your name is Gary Gillette, and you�re more interested in mortgaging the past in favor of good placement on the world�s most popular website�

...and the confirmation that you have absolutely no idea what Jackie Robinson did for America, Derek Jeter, and all of us.

Irony

Is it me, or was ironic that President Bush threw out the first pitch to herald "the proud return of baseball to the Washington area" at the first Nationals home game and yet he was part owner of the Texas Rangers - the team that left Washington without a team for over 30 years? I don't know. But isn't that almost as tacky as asking Torrez and Dent to reenact the 1978 home run when the Yankees opened their new spring training facility a few years back?

Speaking of tacky and Bucky Dent...

Chris House, a long-time season ticket holder, and Sheffield had a weird moment when House's arm swept across Sheffield's cheek. The announcers immediately declared House to be the culprit in "taking a swing" at Sheffield and complimented Sheffield on his restraint. They took House to task and he was tried, condemned and sentenced without so much as a 'boo' from those around him.

I take that back - there were a bunch of "boos" from those around him — mostly for Sheffield. By the way, with the exception of one person, most of those around him said it didn't look intentional from their angle.

Let me tell you what my son and I saw.

We saw a bunch of people diving over the wall for the ball and one guy's arm sweep around and chuck his friend on the chin as he grabbed him in a hug. We saw Sheffield go for the guy, field the ball, and then go back at him. It didn't look like a punch thrown or a swing taken - it looked like a guy going for a ball, realizing in a split second he wasn't going to get it, pulling up to hug his friend in excitement over the play.

But. maybe I'm too much of a Sox fan to call that one fairly - so when my husband got home, I played it for him with the mute on and asked his opinion of what happened. Now - keep in mind that I have a mixed marriage. My husband is a New Yorker (but I love him anyway and have forgiven him for that one character flaw). He has no problem tweaking me about when the Sox lose to the Yankees. In fact, as I jumped up and down celebrating the Series win last year, his response was, "We'll give you one. maybe two if it means a Sox-Cubbies series."

He said it looked like a fan trying to get out of the way - something he repeated this morning after watching it with the commentary. We also watched it frame by frame (oh how I love digital cable - if only I had the HDTV to go with it) to see if there was any thing we missed. Scrutinizing the play that way we noticed little things - the fans' faces in the area, the look of shock on House and his companions' faces at Sheffield's reaction and so on - initially with the sound off. In the end, we jointly decided that this was an unintentional thing that could have gone very badly if not for the fast actions of Sox security; especially in yet
another game where the calls were going against the Sox and things had a high probability of getting truly ugly.

The cries of "foul" from Yankees fans also strike me as somewhat ironic considering the deification of a (then) 12-year-old Jeff Maier - who interfered with game one of the ALCS series against the O's in '96. His interference when he gloved Derek Cheater's fly ball (which would not have been a home run the ump gave Cheater - had the interference not happened) cost the O's the game. This is a kid who wasn't in the ticker tape parade for the Yanks because his parents sent him to school that day.

More recently we had that nasty little brush-up in the bullpen between Paul Williams and the tag-team duo of Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia because Nelson was somehow puzzled and upset that a part-time Fenway employee would be - surprise, surprise - rooting for the home town team. Two professional athletes, according to the police report, used "hands, feet and teeth" to protect themselves from a special ed teacher waving a towel with the fans.

Since I was speaking of tacky AND Buck Dent, let us not forget who the Yankees management asked to throw out the opening pitch in game 7 last year. While there were many who may have found that stunt amusing, let's call it what it was: a classless act designed to gain a psychological edge. A salting of the band aid if you will.

All of it harkens back to one of the best piece of ethics writing. A. Bartlett Giamatti (of blessed memory and the last great baseball commissioner) in 1987, when he wrote "The Decision in the Appeal of Kevin Gross," discussed two types of bad conduct: organic and pre-meditated. Gross fell into the pre-meditated category of going out, acquiring the sandpaper, cutting it to size and then attaching it to the glove. As a result, his punishment needed to be more severe than the precedents his lawyer cited which involved "organic" behavior. Giamatti discusses how two teams in a competitive situation — such as a baseball game — can cloud better judgment and impair wisdom. So when someone bumps an umpire in such a situation, it is an organic act that is understandable even if it
is still unacceptable behavior. This is why we have legal distinctions such as manslaughter vs. first degree murder.

With Greg Gibson's erratic calls (was he high on Nyquill or something last night?), and a distrust of all things Yankees in Boston, I'm surprised it didn't get uglier. That isn't to excuse bad behavior - but fans will always reach out to grab a ball in spite of warnings not to interfere and when you play that close to the wall on any field— well, let's just say I'm surprised this didn't happen earlier. John Welch and his crew need to be complimented for their head's-up action.

In the end, Sheffield was restrained in not charging the stands. I don't care what held him back, he did hold himself back. Sox fans held themselves back and so did both teams in a moment that could have easily have exploded.

No doubt it will be debated for years but in the end, we win. Looks like we found the Yankees lost shaker of salt.

Band aid any one?

Photo Source: Isaacson/Getty Images - from www.RedSox.com

Editor's Note: Here's an actual eyewitness account of the "Sheffield Incident"
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/baseball/mlb/oakland_athletics/11400524.htm

This is what history feels like.

As is the case with most writers, I have a day job. I run a children's book department at a chain bookstore in Chestnut Hill, MA. Jason Varitek lives near the store, as do a number of other members of the Sox. I know this for two reasons: the night Varitek was chased through our store last fall after he tried to take his family out to dinner. (By the way folks, as much as I love the Sox, if the guys aren't doing a public appearance thing - let them be with their families and stuff, imagine trying to take your kid out shopping only to have to smile, be nice, sign autographs and listen to play-by-plays of your recentaccomplishments/disappointments endlessly.)

The second involves my editor thinking about a piece called "star maps" which listed all the famous people in town - including the Old Towne Team. He didn't do it, but we could have had some fun with it if we wanted to.

Because of my day job, I got to volunteer to work security at Johnny Damon's book signing tonight. Now, I'm used to kids and working crowds, so I brought Mr. Bear with me. Mr. Bear is an American black bear hand puppet with a name tag and an attitude. My job, along with cleaning up the coffee cups and other abandoned bits of trash, was to work the kids in the crowd that were unlikely to make it up to the table after waiting in line for hours. So, work it I did.

Or should I say, Mr. Bear did. He told kids to brush their teeth, read books and, if you didn't meet Johnny today - keep your eyes open as there was no telling when you might run into a member of the team. The bear talked baseball and reminded kids to do well in school because maybe they'd be a dentist one day like 67 Cy Young award winner Jim Lonborg. It worked because there were very few kid meltdowns - pretty amazing for that type of a crowd at such an odd time for kids.

At one point I found myself back by the table. There was the ring - the Holy Grail that had eluded us for so long. One of the guys with Damon (I think it was his brother, I'm not sure), let me try it on.

It was beautiful: all big and heavy with diamonds and rubies and sapphires and gold. The sucker was too big for my thumb and it fell off, hitting the floor where I immediately dived and came back up with it clenched in my fist - causing me to panic but everyone else at the table to laugh. I never thought I could fall in love with a piece of jewelry like that - but I did. It is more beautiful that I ever thought it would be - and it was on the thumb of my right hand for a moment. I didn't want to let it go, it just mesmerized me in an unexpected way.

But I did let it go.

It gave me an insight into the owner as well.

Jimmy Buffett once talked about how, when he was starting out, he was told by an old pro that it was just as easy to be jerk as it was to be a nice guy. If you're a nice guy, you've made some fan's day that put you in the lifestyle you're living. If you're a jerk, you've lost that person and then some. In the long run, it was easier to be a nice guy.

Johnny Damon is a nice guy. He mugged for the camera, talked to people, signed books and flexed his muscles on command. He smiled and waved and made everyone who got to the table feel like they were special. Because over 500 people turned out for the signing and he had to leave, he did his best to get everyone covered. In the end, when he stood up, he worked the line - shaking hands and signing books, making sure the kids who were there got their books signed.

We hustled him into the back room where he posed for pictures with the staff - including a group picture. I asked if he'd pose with Mr. Bear - and he gladly assented.

On the long drive home, I reflected about this and my opportunity to pose with the World Series trophy last month when it came through Newton. These guys get it. They get we feel connected to them in a way that is unfathomable in other parts of the country. We are the Ben Wrightmans of the world. We are the most pathetic creature on the face of the earth. We are Red Sox fans and we love it.

I doubt Derek Cheater or Sucky Dent would have let me try on their World Series rings. I bet that if it fell off my thumb that they wouldn't have laughed. But here was Johnny Damon letting me do just that.

I am a Red Sox fan and, right now, life is good.

Strong Team. Weak Fans?

The sound started last week as a faint growl, right around the time that Mariano Rivera blew his second save. It was like the sound of a waterfall when you’re still far off and not quite sure what you hear. Yesterday, after the Yankees had looked bad all afternoon flailing at the flutterings of Tim Wakefield, the sound became a more discernable whine. “Is it time to get a new manager?”

It was the sound of impatience and entitlement. After 4% of the season, the leaders of the Privileged Yankee Fan Brigade emerged triumphantly on the Yankee message board, their suspicions confirmed by the loss to the Red Sox. The Yankee ship has run aground, they declared, and Joe Torre is locked in his cabin, trying to sober up before the authorities arrive. The venom and hostility in these public diatribes suggested that these feelings had been bottled up since the first Yankee loss, that the urge to say “I told you so” had been keeping some people awake nights.

“Let’s face it, the Yankees are soft”

The Yankees and Red Sox are both 3-4 this morning. The similarities end right there. For the most part, the Red Sox message board is it’s normal self: a range of posts, many about yesterday’s ring ceremony. There is no angst. In New York, the moderates still outweigh the reactionaries, but it’s getting so you can’t swing a dead cat on the Yankee message board without hitting a sputtering, distressed insurgent.

“Unbelievable, just pathetic…”

Yankee fans have been stereotyped as a front-running throng of entitled elitists, a characterization that I’ve found repulsive and unfair. Today, I find that there is some truth in it. Too many of you expect to win like you expect to put on a clean pair of underwear each morning. That is not sport. That is a video game.

“This team stinks.”

What’s most unsettling is this: the fans in Boston understand better than some in New York just how strong this team is.

Home Sweet Home Opener

I wanted to take today off from work as a religious holiday - but they didn't buy it and I didn't want to push things because I'm taking all of next week off. Instead, I rushed out of work exactly on time (a rarity for me) and listened to the game on the Spanish station as I ran to pick up kids after track and lacrosse. I don't speak Spanish, but I kept hoping to hear the equivalent of "ggggggooooooooaaaaaaaalllllll" as I listened. Much to my disappointment, that didn't happen - of course, there were no runs scored as I listened, so perhaps that was part of the problem. The commentary was fun to listen to, but it wasn't long before I was searching for the game in English to figure out what was happening.

At the high school, the track meet was in full swing and there were radios tuned to the game (in English) all over the stadium. Instead of the usual warm ups and such that normally happen in early April, kids were huddled around speakers hanging on every word - leaving to warm up only when the coaches made first call for their race.

My son was one of the exceptions. He has entered the second phase of Sox fandom: believing if he says, "I don't care enough," that he will believe it. That he won't care, he won't find himself straining in public places to catch the score. That he won't have his heart broken in August or October. It began shortly after he realized he'd never be anything more than a mediocre player and quit organized baseball - but I know better. I tried it myself when I was his age - but the Sox always find a way of reeling you back in when you're guard is down.

After all, this child went to his first Sox game when he was 3 weeks old and "saw" Clemens pitch. I read him Giamatti's "Green Fields of the Mind" as a bedtime story and one of his earliest memories is the smell of roasted peanuts on Yawkey Way. Here it is, 15 years later and when he is going through a rough time, the best way to comfort him is to hand him a jar of roasted peanuts and just let him inhale the heavenly ambrosia.

Despite his pretended nonchalance, in the car, he couldn't help but listen and speculate how many languages the game was being broadcast in. "You think there's a Russian or German station carrying the game right now?" he asked. I recently handed him John Hough, Jr.'s book "A Player for a Moment," to help him come to grips with all this. Every so often I catch him sneaking a look at the photo on the back cover of Hough and Pesky in sitting together in the dugout. It won't be long until he's back in the fold with the rest of us.

We picked up his little brother after lacrosse practice at the middle school. He stood by the flag pole wearing his Yankee Haters cap and ran to the car as quickly as he could.

"Mr. Teelin said the score was 7 to 1 in the 7th," he cried out breathlessly, "any changes?"

"Not yet."

We made it home to catch the last two innings. After which we celebrated by popping the Drop Kick Murphys' CD "Tessie" in his computer and dancing around the dining room singing, "Tessie, you are the only, only, o-o-only," at the top of our lungs.

My husband walked in, took one look and shook his head. I know he can't help being born in New York - and I have long since forgiven him for it - but he really doesn't understand what it is to be a Sox fan. He grew up with real winners: before salaries worth more than the GNP of a third world country, steroids, and endorsement deals that make you ashamed we have live in a land of such wretched excess. He came of age when it was Mantle and Maris and DiMaggio. Winning was New York's manifest destiny, its divine right and Boston's burden to bear.

He shrugged his shoulders saying, "We'll give you this one because of the day," but I know better. We won today because it counted. Today was the day the Red Sox nation turned its lonely eyes to our boys and they brought it home for us.

Don't blame us if we ever doubt you, you know we can't live with out ya - Red Sox, you are the only, only o-only..

Today we win - and it was the sweet taste of this victory is something we will savor all summer.

Weekend in the Wild Wild East

The Yankees beat the Red Sox in the opening series, and it appears everything is headed back to normal after last October’s changing tide. The Yankees are on top of the division and the Sox are still trying to catch up with their rivals. And then, in a New York Minute, everything changed. Fast forward to Sunday night, when not only have the Blue Jays won their series over the Red Sox (thanks to some bullpen collapses), but the Orioles were able to take two of three from the Yankees.

Do we detect a pattern? Is there really a chance that the balance of power has shifted in the AL East? No, most likely not. But it remains a topic for discussion. For the last three years, the competition in the AL East has been for the first and second spots, with everyone else lagging far behind. As it stands right now, The Blue Jays are on top for the first time in a long time, followed by the Yankees, Orioles and Devil Rays all tied, and the Red Sox bringing up the rear.

This is clearly not going to continue over the whole year, as Foulke and Rivera will settle down, the Red Sox will get Wade Miller and Curt Schilling back from the disabled list, and everything will equal out. But it shows the gap has shrunk between the AL East haves and have-nots. The Orioles have been able to build a formidable team through offensive free agency and young players on their pitching staff. The Rays and Jays have managed to build clubs through trades, not over paying their talent and building young squads of hustlers. Whether these young teams are able to combat the high spending of the Yankees and Red Sox remains to be seen, but it should make for an interesting April.

A few notes from the Red Sox- Blue Jays games this weekend. Johnny Damon didn’t play Saturday because of the stitches in his arm from cutting himself on the stupid scoreboards along the outfield walls, those things have to go now. David Wells is proving his case for Red Sox Mole as he allows back to back to back home runs to Blue Jays Vernon Wells, Corey Koskie and Shea Hillenbrand. On a side note, Wells was VERY upset with being pulled from the game in the 7th, but I don’t understand why. He wasn’t exactly on a role, giving us three jacks in the same inning…although I do think it lowered his ERA. Halladay pitches a pretty good game, and leaves with a lead. The Blue Jays bullpen promptly allows Boston right back into the game, leading to an eighth inning most Jays fans wouldn’t have expected this year, one filled with power (in fact the Jays are tied for third in the majors right now for home runs, something no one expected). Anyway, John "I want my Momma" Halama comes in and promptly serves us a grand slam to Gregg Zaun, a career back-up catcher keeping the job warm for the Jays prospect in AAA. Jays win 12-5, and with almost coming back last night they are looking for real.

Sundays game saw the first start of the year for Blue Jays 2004 All-Star Ted Lilly, which I always thought was a stupid rule (having one player per team). I wonder if these guys are beaten up in the dressing room by guys like Manny Ramirez and Frank Thomas. They probably have to wash all the uniforms after practice. The Red Sox go up early in what was really a slow game until the last 3 innings. The announcers were mentioning about how many Red Sox were writing books and appearing on talk shows after their win. This says one thing to me….complacency! That may be their biggest enemy this year, they don’t have any pressure on them. The announcers also discuss the A-Rod trade that fell through for the Red Sox last year. Probably the best trade never made in baseball history, as their chances of winning the title decrease about 90%. Seems like a more pro- Red Sox crowd today versus the last two games. Jays announcer Rod Black about Frankie Catalanotto : "I love looking at this guys eyes"…he quickly adds…"while he’s batting." Corey Koskie gets thrown out on a pretty play after a bases loaded single by Hinske, replay shows him quite safe though. Who’s the next major league closer to blow a save in the season’s first week? Answer: Miguel Batista! The Blue Jays closer loads up the bases for Edgar Renteria with the Sox down. Will he try and best David Wells for the coveted role of the Mole or will he come through? BAM! Renteria drives in the tying run, but Batista gets out of the inning without further damage. Bottom of the 9th, Reed Johnson is able to work his way on base because of bad footing by Mark Bellhorn. The announcers blamed it on the turf, but in reality, he’s played on that turf before and he should know better. If his footing is bad enough that it can slip, he didn’t give himself good footing regardless. Anyway, next batter Orlando Hudson doubles to the neon sign in left-centre field, Johnson hustles all the way around from first, ball game. Great series, with two of three games this weekend coming down to the bottom of the ninth.

The Red Sox now go back to Boston today to get their World Series rings in front of the New York Yankees, (possibly the greatest karma moment ever). Shouldn’t be too eventful, (I don’t predict any brawls today) but this is quickly turning into a must win series for both teams. The Red Sox can’t afford to fall too far behind the Yanks in the first month, and the Yankees have to win to keep pace with the…I can’t believe I get to say this…Blue Jays!!

Y2K

In most years, all the pressure of winning is on the reigning champ. Not this year.

Just like Steinbrenner's three-year-old thoroughbred horses are bred to win the Triple Crown, this $2 million, 2005 Yankee Baseball team was assembled to win the World Series. Anything less is a failure. Even just making it into the Series is not acceptable. The boss feels entitled to the ultimate win - or he feels like he's been robbed.

Most Red Sox players will be wearing new jewelry when they step up to the plate today. The sparkle and glare of the diamond will undoubtedly be noticed by the opposing third baseman.

They write of the curse of A-Rod or the curse of Don Mattingly. We wonder about the curse of Y2K. Why 2000? Did something happen to flip this affliction off the Boys from Beantown and flop it onto the Boys from the Bronx? What else could explain the utter and unprecedented collapse of the 2004 New York Yankees? What explains the Yankees becoming the only team in MLB history to loose a series after being ahead 3-0?

Because our site is dedicated to keeping a faithful eye on the team we love to root against, we’ve established a button and a web page to remind the baseball world that the curse does live! The fickle finger of fate now points squarely at those who for so long depended on that last-minute, odds-defying, cruel Red Sox flub to hand the win to them. We're asking for your theories on how the curse got reversed — and how to keep the baseball gods on OUR side for a change. Have a happy 2005 season, Yankees and enjoy your new friend… The Curse — Reversed!!

The YankeesSuck.com original Curse: Reversed Button can be purchased here, or in selected retail establishments. Show those Yankee fans that their tired old chant is over - forever! Now the joke's on them..

Here we go, Red Sox

Wow. So this is what it is like to be in last place. I cannot say I'm pleased with the first six games of the 2005 campaign for the Sox but I suppose it could be worse. Just look at the numbers and it is easy to see that being 2-4 is actually a great record! So in honor of the opening of the season, let me begin what will
likely be a season long topic encompassing my favorite part of baseball — the numbers!

For this installment, I've chosen a Top Ten List. So here goes—

Top Ten Numbers That Show 2-4 Isn't that Bad and It Can Only Get Better

10. 4 HRs as a team
9. Red Sox Starters ERA: 4.63 (Remove Wells and the ERA drops to 3.35)
8. Terry Francona has only coached 2 games
7. Renteria's BA: .167 (Don‚t Fret, Orlando Cabrera is batting .133)
6. Bellhorn is again a contender for "King of the K's"
5. Foulke's Line: 9.00 ERA, 1 SV (Plus Jeter‚s HR in Game 2 against the Yankees)
4. Red Sox Team ERA: 7.65
3. Bullpen ERA: 9.39
2. Manny's Line: .200, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .150 Slugging %
1. #38 has yet to enter the building

Injured Pavano Leaves Game Early

Carl Pavano left today's game versus the Baltimore Orioles earlier than he expected.

One pitch after first baseball Juicin' Giambi dropped a foul pop up, Melvin Mora lined Pavano's pitch up the middle. It ricocheted off Pavano's head and rolled into foul territory. This allowed Brian Roberts to move from first to third on the play.

Pavano was able to stand up but he left the game. Tanyon Sturtze entered the game and allowed Roberts, Mora and Tejada to score.

Pavano allowed five hits, 3 runs, 1 earned in two innings pitched. He also struck out one.

UPDATE: Pavano suffered a minor concussion. There has been no statement if he will sit out his next start or not.

It's Never Just Three Games

The Yankees and Red Sox untangled themselves Wednesday like familiar heavyweight fighters finishing the first round of their latest title bout. In the final analysis, the initial skirmish had more circling than scuffling, more probing than attacking. But this was Red Sox vs.Yankees, and no one was going to allow it to be just another season-opening series, particularly the press and fans who were rabid for the inevitable subplots that are part of this storied rivalry each year. As the Red Sox head to Toronto and the Yankees wait on the arrival of Sammy Sosa and the Orioles, you wondered if the intense scrutiny of this first series had both teams secretly cursing the schedule maker who thought this would be a groovy way to start the season.

Of course, the early spring air was thick with posturing, clichés and mathematical gibberish meant to dismiss this 3-game series as just that — 3 games. Less than 2% of a 162 game season. For those still trapped in football mode, that’s 5 feet of a Tom Brady 90 yard drive, or less than $1 Million of Eli Manning’s $54 Million rookie contract.

But when you are a player, manager or fan in the Yankee-Red Sox drama you don’t get to write off a series as anything less than transcendent. The ebb and flow of this rivalry, goaded by fundamentalism and seasoned by history, prescribes that every game is important, every foul ball, inside pitch and raised eyebrow seminally epic and capable of shaping events that we can not envision.

Or so we’ve been led to believe.

The Yankees won the series, 2 to 1. Depending on where you lay your head at night, it might have been either 3-0 Yankees or 2-1 Red Sox. This is because Yankee prodigy Mariano Rivera continued a perplexing pattern of being mortal against the Red Sox, making games 2 and 3 more exciting then they should have been. In game 2, Rivera looked human in giving up a home run to Jason Varitek. In game 3, after an Alex Rodriguez error that might have relieved him, he simply melted, walking 3 and needing to be retrieved by a clearly uncomfortable Joe Torre. The Red Sox gave notice that last year’s success against Rivera can no longer be written off as an aberration, and back in the office of Brian Cashman, the concern for Rivera was officially elevated to DEFCON 2.

It must have been awful for the reserved Yankee closer, who was booed as he left the field in Game 3 by either frustrated Yankee faithful or jubilant Red Sox fans, or both. Regardless of who did the jeering, it was a surreal, unsettling scene that continued in the locker room, where Rivera needed a pulling guard to clear a path through the media to his locker after the game. Just another season-opening series, right?

The Red Sox said all the right things, paid homage to Rivera. But they must be astonished at how they have decoded the Yankees’ secret weapon. It is no small feat when you consider that many of the games played between these two teams will be decided after the seventh inning.

Rivera’s velocity seems fine, but the cutter isn’t cutting the way it can. The antidote is likely time, time to gain some confidence and feel again, and then time to close a game successfully against the Red Sox. We can be sure that Joe Torre will give Rivera all the time he needs.

The Red Sox pitchers had control problems, hitting Yankee batters five times. Derek Jeter took 2 of these pitches, including an inside Mike Timlin pitch off his arm and into the bill of his helmet, giving his brains a brief stir and the Yankees a big scare. The alarmists whispered “intentional”, an absurd premise when one considered the Red Sox’ respect for Jeter, the date on the calendar, and the baseball situation that Timlin was pitching in.

The other 3 pitches found Jason Giambi, who seemed only too happy to reach base via the bruise. Against David Wells, Giambi could have avoided both pitches. Instead, in his best Rudi-Stein-Bad-News-Bears impression, he leaned slightly into the first and remained completely still for the second. Giambi’s willingness to have laces embossed on his arm as a first step in his redemption from steroid use was admirable. When compared to Barry Bonds’ crisis-management skills, it was thoroughly endearing.

Five hit batsmen is significant, and the retaliation advocates from the Yankee side were out in force before the last out had been made in Game 3. None of them were players, managers, or front office types. They were angry men who live in an angry, eye for an eye world, men who drive their cars with anger and prattle on about retribution and violence from the comfort of their couch. They were more incensed than the welted Giambi or woozy Jeter. Randy Johnson, a man who was upset when jokes were made about the bird he inadvertently killed with a pitch, must be amused by those who think they understand intent, yet couldn’t throw a baseball without requiring pain killers afterwards.

The league will watch the next series closely, and the ball will be in the Yankees court. There is certainly truth to the idea that Red Sox hitters should be less comfortable diving into a pitch. There is less truth to the idea that the Yankees need to flagrantly hit a Red Sox hitter.

So, at the close of the series, the seeds of ominous sub-plots were planted by the press and fans, but the players and managers refused to water them. Certainly not the sort of stuff that sells newspapers, but the rhetoric of teams that do not like each other, but respect each other.

159 games to go.

On New Turf in Toronto

Opening night in Toronto: the stadium has been refurbished, new scoreboards on the outfield walls, Jumbotron redone and FieldTurf instead of the ol' Astroturf. Everything in this stadium is described as NEW for the first three innings, including three separate close-ups of turf. The announcers felt the need to describe the fieldturf and what was different about it from regular turf. Is there a person in North America who doesn’t know the difference by now? That’s like telling me why batters use pine tar…..(for grip, I’ll spare you the embarassment). The outfield wall scoreboards are BRIGHT lime green — possibly the worst colour they could have picked, two or three balls are misplayed due to the inability of the fielders to see. That’s gotta change, or this park is going to have more gimmicks than Minute Maid. Although, as our announcers were kind enough to tell us, they are helpful for keeping in touch with his fantasy baseball team. Anyway, Slash from Gun N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver plays the both national anthems on his guitar. It was pretty sweet actually, but he has wearing a half Red Sox-half Blue Jays jersey. I realize he’s not from Toronto, but shouldn’t you have to wear the home team's jersey? Isn’t that a requirement for national anthems?

Then we get the Trailor Park Boys throwing out the first pitch after a predictably lame fake fight over the ball. I like the Trailor Park Boys (which is Canadian comedy, so none of you have heard of it,) and it’s funny, but let’s be serious, is Roberto Alomar not a ten-thousand-times better choice for this? No contest! Plus we got porn-type music during the introductions, which probably sent Slash into a headlong search for every girl over, I dunno….14?

When we get to the game, we get David "Burning" Bush against the man who went from a wannabe brother (with cornrows last year) to flowing blonde locks: Bronson Arroyo. Arroyo, the announcer says, was actually named after actor Charles Bronson…these are the types of things we need to learn on baseball cards as kids. Nothing special there, though Bush is like every other Blue Jay this year with loads of "potential". Boston got a lot of boos throughout this game however, much more than I expected. Manny took a lot in the first inning, I would have assumed all the fans were there to see Boston.

However, some bright spots from the first few innings include me convincing my roommate that the "c" on Varitek’s jersey stood for catcher so he could be better identified, and him not realizing until the 4th inning they were actually at re-furbished Skydome. Which brings up an interesting point, he thought it was stupid of them to change the name, but I said, if I had money to buy stadiums, damn right I would name them after myself, that’s sweet.

And, if the start of the Red Sox season was an episode of The Mole, would you be able to pick between David Wells, Matt Clement, Edgar Renteria, or Keith Foulke? Ignoring his seniority, I would have to pick Foulke because he cost them one game and almost cost them another tonight. He and Rivera have equal flammability levels right now, but nobody talks about Foulke.

Anyway, a pretty uneventful game until the bottom of the 9th with a few solo homers here and there. Brandon League managed to turn an inning-ending DP into a large throwing error. Lucky ball. Sometimes I wish I could order baseball games in Spanish just to make them sound more exciting. Sure I wouldn’t understand what was happening, but I could live without Bronson Arroyo tidbits and knowing that Red Sox interim manager Brad Mills was the guy that Nolan Ryan set the all-time strikeout record against. The bottom of the 9th hits and we get some mad Blue Jay hitting action, scoring two runs and getting a runner on third. Keith "It’s not my" Foulke then preceeds to load the bases, to pitch to Orlando Hudson. I promptly PROMISE my roommate I have tons of faith in Hudson and he will get the game-winning hit. So, in typical underachieving fashion, he grounds to second. Good game all around though, nice exciting conclusion and the Jays draw over 50,000 to a game for the first time since Joe Carter played there (and that’s a long time ago).

Boston Swagger: Lost and Found?

You know you've had an interesting series when Mike Timlin is the only pitcher to come out with a win and you've made Mariano Rivera blow two save opportunities, yet he has a record of 1-1. The first two games this week against New York left Boston fans everywhere wondering "Where is our offense?" "What's the deal with Wells?" and "Why did we replace Cabrera with Renteria?" The first two games alone left Sox fans with little to be proud of. Sure, they knocked Mariano Rivera up for a blown save in game two — but did it matter? Not so long as Jeter's heroic antics were still at play, not to mention Matsui's continued domination.

Combined, however, the series left much more hope for the Sox. After all, Boston did cause the "unstoppable" Mariano Rivera to blow two saves. Knocking Rivera for 5 runs in the ninth during Wednesday's game allowed Sox fans to let out a sigh of relief because not only did Boston pull one out, they continued to dominate Rivera. While I doubt he will ever be the closer he was, we all must keep in mind Mariano isn't going to blow every save, but will settle down. So, does this take away from the hope given to Sox fans from this series? No — because the ninth inning did a lot more for the Red Sox. It was a momentum swing for the offense and also gave the players back that "Boston Swagger" which was missing in most of the players during the first two games. That is, in the ninth inning the Dirtdogs returned doing what needed to get done to win. This was a step away from the first two games where much of Sox nation felt they were watching a Yankee team as few of the players seemed to "fit."

It is only the first series and it will take time for the new guys to find this comfort level that others like Millar, Otriz, Bellhorn, and Mueller have achieved. The biggest thing the Red Sox led the majors with last year was character and after a few more settling wins the Red Sox will be right back up there.

We wanna pit-cha!

Well, we're under way. One series under our belt.

And Boston, we have a problem.

Look, don't get me wrong. Winning one out of three games isn't half-bad when you're playing in the Bronx. And they left town down only one game in the
standings, with 159 to go. There is time, and ample opportunity, to make up the difference. :)

But something really stood out to me, like a sore thumb.

Starting pitching, one of Boston's strengths last season, is now a glaring problem.

Wells was a disaster Sunday night. I don't need to elaborate on that.

While Clement didn't give up a ton of runs on Tuesday, I don't think anyone could say they had that "cozy" feeling while he was on the mound.

There was just something about sending Pedro Martinez out to the hill that made you think there was a better chance of seeing a win than a loss.

But what are the odds with our current pitching staff?

Schilling, the staff ace, should be a question mark for all Sox fans. Aside from recovering from ankle surgery, he's also no spring chicken. He's really in the last seasons of his career.

Wells is a definite "maybe". We could see him doing very well or very poorly. Back problems, the weight, the attitude. We just don't know how he's going to fit
in around here.

Clement has had a reputation for being wild and throwing too many pitches to be a consistent winner. His stuff is phenomenal. It appears the Sox were banking on Varitek being able to harness his talent.

Wakefield is Wakefield. He's great and then he gets slammed. The Sox have him for his versatility and veteran leadership. And he's done fairly well against the Yanks. But it's up and down with him.

Arroyo. Well, who really knows? The guy got by on a good breaking ball last season, but lacked a full arsenal of pitches. Will he suffer a sophomore jinx? It remains to be seen.

Wade Miller? Talk to me when he's off the DL!

While these pitchers could turn out to be decent, they're matched up against a fleet of pinstriped, proven winners:

1. Randy Johnson? No explanation necessary.

2. Carl Pavano. He reminds me of Andy Petitte. Big build, durable, throws strikes, and has very good stuff. Breakout season last year.

3. Mike Mussina. His reputation of having perfect mechanics is only bettered by his plethora of pitches and pitching angles. And he's always pitched the Sox tough.

4. Jaret Wright. We'll see how he performs in New York, but not a bad No. 4 starter, even if he gets only 10 wins or so.

5. Kevin Brown. Yeah, last season was strange. And maybe an off-year, pitching-wise. He's on the DL again, for the millionth time in his career, but again, not too shabby for a No. 5 guy when you're backed by Johnson, Pavano, and Mussina at the top of the rotation.

So, there you have it.

The Sox are going to be in the hunt, certainly, because Oakland is depleted, Seattle is really rebuilding, and the Orioles don't have enough pitching to complement their offense. And the Red Sox offense is potent enough to win at least 10-20 games all on its own this season.

But don't be surprised if we see a midseason move for a great starting pitcher.

We're not rolling out Schilling and Pedro, back-to-back, anymore.

Gotta Wonder...

After seeing the results of the last two Yankees-Red Sox games in this opening series, I think Yankee fans should be a little concerned about their hero, one Mariano Rivera. Two blown saves in two games has got to be unnerving. It makes one wonder if the run of sustained excellence for 9 seasons by Rivera is finally beginning to unravel. His run of success is unprecedented for any relief pitcher in baseball history. Eventually the party has to end. This could finally be it.

I know the Red Sox have seen him a lot and eventually when a team sees a guy that often they do eventually figure him out. But if I was a Yankee fan, I'd be very concerned the first time this happens against another team besides Boston. Because if Rivera isn't automatic anymore the Yankees are in huge trouble. Say what you will, but it is clear that the main reason the Yankees have been so dominate for the last decade is because of Rivera and his ability to shorten games just by coming into the game. If the Yankees don't have that guy anymore, they are just another team. We've seen the Yankees fail in the playoffs a couple times in the last few years and all those failures are tied to Rivera being human. Examples: 2001 vs. Arizona, Game 7, he gets beat by Luis Gonzalez and last year in games 4 and 5 he blows closeout-the-series games against the Red Sox leading to the greatest collapse in baseball history. I admit, part of my thoughts of Rivera's unraveling are hopeful gloating, but the results do speak for themselves, Yankee fans.

Hey Mariano...Who's YOUR Daddy?

Mariano Rivera blew his fourth straight save opportunity Wednesday. A day of frustration at the plate turned into a feast as Mariano Rivera allowed 5 runs, of which 1 was earned.

It all started in the 9th inning. Mariano Rivera relieved Tanyon Sturtze of his duties. It did not start easy for Rivera as he faced his worst enemy, Bill Mueller. You might remember last year's brawl game when Bill Mueller hit the game-winning homerun off of Mariano. That led to the breakdown of Mo in the playoffs in which Billy hit a shot up the middle off of Mariano Rivera to keep the Red Sox hopes alive in the ALCS.

Bill Mueller worked the count and walked. Then Mark "Clutch" Bellhorn singled to right field past the diving efforts of Tino Martinez. Johnny Damon (who now happens to be an author) kept the inning alive by dropping a single in front of Gary Sheffield.

After going down 2-0 in the count to Trot Nixon, A-Rod visited Mariano on the mound to calm him. It seemed to help as he came back to strike Nixon out.

But then A-Rod did not help Mariano as he dropped an easy ground ball at third. With a chance to throw out the runner at home, or to turn a double play, A-Rod got handcuffed by a fast grounder by Manny Ramirez. With run in, and the bases still loaded David Ortiz, aka Big Papi, stepped up to the plate. He hit a weak ground ball to the right side of the infield. Marino fielded it but only had a chance to throw out Ortiz at first. One more run in, 2 out.

David McCarty, who replaced Kevin Millar after a supposed "leg cramp" (who also went 3-3 in the game), drew a walk and newly acquired shortstop Edgar Renteria stepped in the batting box.

Renteria, who got his first hit of the season in the 6th inning, and who had earlier grounded into two double plays, rocketed a line drive past the diving glove of Ray Sanchez (brought into the game after Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the 8th). Damon and Manny Ramirez scored, making it 6-3.

Doug Mirabelli, who was in the game today because Tim Wakefield was pitching, walked and that was enough for Joe Torre as he brought in Felix Rodriguez to finish the game.

David McCarty later scored on a wild pitch by Rodriguez and Bill Mueller struck out looking to end the nightmare for the Yankees.

The Red Sox who took the win without their Manager, Terry Francona. Francona was taken to the hospital early this morning after feeling tightness in his chest. He is awaiting test results and the team has not decided if he will manage in Toronto.

The Red Sox improve to 1-2 and the Yankees (2-1) took their first loss of the year.

GOODBYE WINTER GLOOM!

No matter what any weatherman says, spring blossoms anew each year with the birth of the baseball season. For one day there are no leaders and no followers, all are equal with the dreams that come with the prospect of a clean slate and 162 games to prove your mettle and your worth. For 86 years, Red Sox fans knew better than anyone the optimism that came with springs warm breezes and how the sweet smell of newly bloomed flowers would tease the mind and the senses with hopes for the coming days and the cold hard fall. Nothing swept away the tears and the gloom of fall better than sunshine and tickets to Opening Day.

Things changed for the Nation last season and October instead offered warmth and joy rather than its usual cold shoulder dressed in pinstripes. Fairy tales could not have been better written and nothing like the Comeback of 2004 will ever occur again without recalling that faithful night in Yankee Stadium when Johnny Damon was Lex Luthor and Derek Lowe brought a big bag of Kryptonite. The World Series was almost anti-climactic. We knew we would have our championship the moment Johnny's second home run flew through the cold New York night and not even the mighty Redbirds would stand in our way.

But the business of a new season makes the last season a series of treasured memories. Now the Sox face the true test because true greatness is not measured by how you get to the top but by what you do when you get there. As sweet as finally ending 86 years of misery was, nothing would be sweeter than doing it all over again. After all, we've only got 21 left to catch up.

The Red Sox were outmaneuvered by the Yankees in the off-season as the Evil Empire added two outstanding pitchers to the Red Sox one. This showed in the
opening two games of the season as the Yankee bats welcomed one pitcher back to the rivalry and introduced another with a shower after 4 1/3 innings. Fortunately for Red Sox fans and the City of Boston, there is no need to start jumping off the Charles River Bridge. The Yankees have built a collection; the
Red Sox still have the better team. Schilling has yet to make his debut on the stage and the mighty Red Sox lumber showed signs of life today after a quiet
performance on Sunday.

The stage is set for 2005. The Yankees have drawn first blood and Hideki Matsui continues to make Beantown pitching look like Pawtucket washouts. Still, spring blooms eternal hope and no longer do we fear the road ahead and the possibility of another year of disappointment. Instead we can enjoy our time in the sun and watch the season unfold as the Boston Red Sox move forward to defend something they haven't had the chance to do in 86 years: defend a World Series
championship.

AND IT‚S ABOUT DAMN TIME!

We Live for THIS

Well Red Sox nation, I’m back at it with giving you my take on the MLB season, so let’s get to it. How was everyone’s opening day experience? Mine was a disaster. As I sat in my living room Sunday night, and turned on the T.V. to see the Sox once again battle the Evil Empire in that classic rivalry I have grown so attached to and obsessed with, I watched in shame as the Sox just got absolutely dominated in every phase of the game against the Bronx Bombers. Maybe it was just the fact that I didn’t care anymore if we won another game, because we’re World Champs. However, as I fell asleep that night knowing they got stomped on 9-2 by the guys in pin stripes, I felt a need for more. Don’t you remember that feeling, when the Sox in ’03 fell short of making the World Series? Remember how tense you were, knowing that we came so close to having the opportunity to reverse the curse? It was kind of like that. However, since the Curse has already been reversed, it was simply a need for more…to see the Sox just keep it going. When I got home from school today, and saw the Sox down 3-1 in the 7th inning, I sat down and watched the game, as I talked with my girlfriend on the phone, almost like I was just watching a movie….it wasn’t anything of much significance for me. However, when the Sox started to slowly crawl back into the game, and when V-Tek hit the homer in the 9th to tie it up, I immediately came flying of my couch, screaming and yelling at the TV, leaving my girlfriend to wonder what the hell was wrong with me. She just doesn’t understand, that was the fan inside me screaming out, and awakening from the winter hibernation. With my heart racing and my palms actually sweaty, I sat back on the couch at the edge of my seat, feeling anxious and alert, waiting for the Sox to put together some kind of magic against the Yankees, just like the 2004 ALCS. Remember those late nights during the ALCS, when you’d sit there half awake, and watched as the Sox made history? This is what being a member of the Red Sox nation is all about my friends. As MLB’s well known slogan says, "I Live For this". So GO SOX 2005!

A Chilly Night For Wells

It’s that time of year again, a time when fans of all different