Thanks to Darren Rovell via Twitter for this piece of “loveliness“. And by “loveliness“, I mean hideousness. Or monstrosity.

Just because you are 1) a big fan, 2) a movie director and 3) rich doesn’t mean you can’t create an absolute disaster of a hat. Stop messing with the elegant simplicity of the NYY cap. What’s next, Spike: names on the back of the jersey?

Not to mention, are you really going to spend $59.95 for a cap this atrocious, that comes in a box, and, if all goes well over the next MONTH, will be outdated before Thanksgiving? SIXTY DOLLARS!!!

But it comes in a box…wooooo. They’d have to pack Spike himself in a box for me to spend that much on any hat.

DUMB. And ugly.

Was reading this brief-but-interesting piece about the shortcomings national baseball writers versus local writers and this jumped out at me:

If you really want to know the scoop on opposing teams, I’m not sure there are any shortcuts. You have to seek out the local writers — whether they’re newspaper beat writers or bloggers — with the best understanding of each franchise and stick with them.

YES! Huge props to Jon Weisman for acknowledging that the diehards who choose to put their thoughts and opinions out there for consumption, praise and ridicule –bloggers like me– who might be as good a source of information and insight as the national writers who have to cover all 30 teams from a much higher and diluted level.

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Does winning soften the edges or does softened edges help winning? Ya got me. Either way…

Girardi has emphasized communication, between himself and his players and especially among the players themselves. Last off-season, he and the bench coach Rob Thomson decided spring training was too long, and they thought of ways to break the monotony while fostering a sense of team.

I’m not sure if all of the extra-curricular stuff builds a chemistry, if chemistry really exists and means anything, and does chemistry follow winning.

Or, does being given a team with $200 million in payroll, including newest additions Sabathia, Burnett and Teixeira, help boost morale and chemistry? No matter what, this team is more of a team than I have seen in pinstripes in many years.

So what do you think about the “chicken and egg” nature of chemistry and winning?

Thanks to the Daily News for this gem.

In case you haven’t realized, the Yanks open a 3 game series at the Stadium today. The Sox are just 5 games behind in the loss column, 5.5 games overall. They are playing very well as the Yanks have seem to set themselves on cruise control early last week before winning 2 of 3 in Anaheim.

Having already clinched a spot in the postseason, the Yankees have an opportunity to lock up the AL East by knocking off the second-place Red Sox themselves instead of relying on other teams to help reduce their magic number.

“We know that we can get the job done this weekend,” Mariano Rivera said. “It would be nice to do that at home.”

The Yankees have had Boston’s number in the second half in much the same way the Red Sox manhandled the Bombers before the All-Star break, when they started the season with eight straight wins over the Yanks.

Game on!

This is just funny (or sad, if you’re a Pirates fan):

The Pirates will apparently give five figures to anyone who can speak a foreign language and put his uniform pants on correctly. They signed RHP Dovydas Neverauskas, the first baseball prospect signed out of Lithuania, for $60,000. Neverauskas is all projection at this point, with a fastball up to 88 mph and a tall, lanky build. His delivery is awkward and unclean, and he has no viable second pitch, but he does have some run on his fastball. He turned 16 in January and will make his US debut this month in instructional league.

Zing!

In light of Peter Gammons’ admitted overreaction to a tepid stretch run in 2009, I have a two (and a half) quasi-simple suggestions:

1. Do NOT expand to two Wild Card teams. Period.
2. Change the LDS format to 2-1-2, giving the Wild Card winner just 1 game at home, ensuring the divisional winners will maintain the advantage they have earned. However, I have one BIG clause to this idea:
   • If the Wild Card winner has a BETTER record than the divisional winner they are supposed to play (tiebreaker being head to head record), the format goes back to the traditional 2-2-1.

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The Yankees seemed to be on a hot streak at the end of the first half, until they arrived in Anaheim and were swept by the Angels. This time the Bombers looked like they were slipping into a slump, however, they managed to rebound and Wednesday’s 3-2 victory gave them a series win in Anaheim for the first time since 2004.

With one out in the fourth, Mark Teixeira drove a double to right field. Matsui worked a walk, and Shelley Duncan drove a scorching line drive off the glove of Chone Figgins and into left. Teixeira tried to score, but a nice throw by Juan Rivera got Teix at home. Robinson Cano followed up with a two out, two RBI single, giving the Yankees the first runs of the game. He moved to second on an error by Halos catcher Mike Napoli. Melky Cabrera sent a double into the outfield, scoring Cano and giving the Yankees the 3-0 edge.

AJ Burnett gave the Yankees a solid outing, but the Angels broke through in the fifth. Napoli singled and moved to third on Figgins double. AJ struck out Aybar and got Bobby Abreu to ground out to second, however, Napoli scored, making the score 3-1. The Halos came within one run in the sixth, when AJ gave up a single to Rivera and a RBI double to Gary Matthews, before Damaso Marte came out to close out the inning. Phil Coke, Ian Kennedy (making his return from aneurysm surgery) and Mariano Rivera helped close out the game, holding the Angels scoreless as the Bombers won 3-2.

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Ben from RAB does a nice job discussing how the Yanks are smartly adjusting their rotation to give CC some additional rest, unlike his splendid 2008 stretch run that ultimately left him “hosed” for the post-season:

Except for the final game of the season, we can see how the rotation shakes down. Not only are the Yankees giving CC an extra day off this week, but due to next Thursday’s off-day, he’ll enjoy another extra day of rest next week. As an added bonus, if the Yankees pick the short playoff series, he’ll get yet another extra day off. If they pick the longer series the one that requires just three starters the Big Man will be lined up on normal rest to pitch Game 1 in the Bronx against Detroit or Minnesota.

In looking at Ben’s rotation alignment to the right, we can see that Chamberlain has two starts to get himself back in order, hopefully with that quick pace that made him so good right after the all star break.

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Caption this…

After a disasterous 2008 campaign and surgery in May to repair an aneurysm in his arm, Ian Kennedy came back to the Yanks yesterday to walk the tightrope without a net:

In his first major league appearance since surgery to remove an aneurysm below his right biceps, Kennedy walked two batters and hit another in the eighth before escaping on Erick Aybar’s fly. His misadventures and ultimate redemption were the wildest portion of six New York pitchers’ efforts to hold down Los Angeles’ offense.

Not exactly pretty, but it was good to see him back.

In the last couple games, the Yankees bats had been very quiet, leading to a bit of a slump while they trek along the west coast. Heading into Tuesday night’s game, the Yankees were still winless in Anaheim, and despite their quick lead, it looked like they might remain that way. In the end, they managed to minimize the damage from their mistakes and capitalize on some opportunities, giving them the 6-5 victory.

In the top of the third, Mark Teixeira singled to right. Alex Rodriguez then drove the ball deep to center field for a two-run homer and the Yankees first lead. Matsui reached on catcher’s interference and moved to second on a wild pitch by Ervin Santana. Posada then laced the ball into the stands in right for another two-run shot and the Yankees had a 4-0 lead. A solo homer by Matsui in the fifth put the lead at 5-0 and the Pinstripes were starting to look comfortable in Anaheim.

Gaudin, who had pitched well for the first four innings, struggled in the fifth. With two outs, Chone Figgins drove a homer to right that just stayed fair. Maicer Izturis doubled and Abreu walked. Vladimir Guerrero smacked a RBI single, getting the Halos back in the game 5-2. Aceves relieved Gaudin and got Torii Hunter to strike out to end the inning.

Aceves, however, got into trouble in the sixth, allowing back-to-back singles by Morales and Juan Rivera. He got Aybar to pop out, but Gary Matthews pinch hit a single to right, scoring Morales. Figgins singled to load the bases and Aceves walked Abreu, scoring Rivera and putting the Angels within 1, before A-Rod laid out to stop a hit by Guerrero, getting him out at first to end the inning.

The Yankees seemed destined to let this one get away, as Kendrick reached first on an error by Cano to start the eighth. As Kendrick attempted to steal second, Posada made a terrible throw, allowing Kendrick to reach third. Izturis singled him in, tying the score, but Hughes struck out Guerrero and Hunter to end the inning. Brett Gardner gave the Pinstripes some hope, singling to start the ninth. He then stole second. Jeter walked and Damon’s bunt moved the runners over for Teixeira. The Halos intentionally walked Teix to load the bases for A-Rod. A sac fly to center field was enough to let the speedy Gardner score and the Yankees held onto the lead for the win.

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In what was a completely inconsequential game in what has been yet another miserable season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, I have a reason to cheer: Eric Hacker made his MLB debut!

The other two were charged to righty Eric Hacker, who made his Major League debut when he pitched the eighth.

The results mean nothing. Zero. This is about a guy who has fought back from major arm/shoulder injuries to break his way into the Major Leagues. Whether he pitches another inning in the Majors is also almost irrelevant. He did it. He beat the odds. He’s a Major League Pitcher.

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I came across this sports gambling‘site yesterday. Looks like the professionals like the Yanks to face either the Cards or Phillies to meet in the World Series, with the Yanks the odds-on favorite (the Cards are the 2nd favored to win it all, followed by a tie between Boston and the Phillies):

Odds to win the 2009 American League Championship

Boston Red Sox 5/2
Detroit Tigers 9/1
Los Angeles Angels 10/3
New York Yankees 5/6

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