Topic: Yankees Baseball

Some writers and commentators in the local media are a bit shocked that Cashman “had the nerve” to fight back.

The guy’s been taking crap from tabloids and fans for some time I think is only fair he should be allowed to vent some of that anger and hurt.  Hank does it, Hal does it, this Felix Lopez seems to do it, sportswriters do whatever the hell they please day in and day out, we fans do it, I’ve been on his case since the end of July. So what’s wrong with that? This still is a free country (we don’t know for how long though) and the guy has taken some hits while Torre, Posada, Jeter, Mariano, Andy, Bernie and friends took all the credit for whatever went right.

Nobody is perfect. Give the guy a break   . . . .   I know I will.

There's still the issue of that lousy trade   . . . . . .    I’m just kidding.

Down Tampa Bay.

I’m glad to see that Akinori Iwamura is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Ever since he started playing in the Majors I’ve been a fan of his. I like the way he plays: with quiet intensity, no visible emotions betray his body language just solid concentration.  If a Rays pitcher brushes an opposing hitter it’s always Iwamura who ends up paying the price in the receiving end of a violent collision at second base and he just gets up and goes to play AGAIN even if he’s hurt (there is no doubt in my mind he can take care of himself in a one on one with any loud mouth in the majors but he understands the game in a way not many Americans can so he just goes back to the business of playing the game as it should be played).

I’ve seen him face Matzusaka and there is neither hesitation nor fear in his eyes . . . . . . . just sheer determination. So I’m glad the media is finally discovering this fine professional player with the soul of a true samurai.

Welcome to Hollywood.

Someone needs to remind Lou that it’s time to turn the page. There is nothing you can do to bring those two games back. DONE WITH IT.

How in the world are your players going to listen to you about getting ready to win the next three games when you don’t stop beatching about the first two non-stop?

The time to focus on the next game is now, manage the game don’t just talk about it (showing your hand in the process). Forget about who’s under the most pressure to win. It’s not about you it’s all about the team. Just treat the next game with respect, your team forgot about how to execute for the same reason: they don’t want to make mistakes and/or be yelled at. After a very long season you’ve gotten this far for a reason.

It looks like if Santana, who hit and owns A-rod at will, couldn’t find any takers on the Sux lineup; I thought he was going to hit Bay like he always does A-rod but Bay wouldn’t have any of that and took him yard (the way A-rod should have done a long time ago) instead.

Then came rod (K this time) and he was so focused on the way he was going to celebrate when he struck out Drew (like the way he always does with A-rod at the plate [“he threw me a changeup” ] ) and Drew with a bad back instead of just admiring the change up just took the Hot Dog’s yard just like Bay did with the other pretender Santana.

I hope A-rod was watching maybe he’ll grow some cojones this time.

Question: Is K-rod, who forgot how to celebrate a Home Run given and was devoid of all induced exuberance after that “I live for this” moment, still thinking about asking for Mariano’s kind of money or is his agent ready to say that they never meant $75 Million but $57 instead and all was nothing but a typo? It looked like a typo alright   . . . . . .     On the field.

Rejoice Mets you’ve just saved yourselves about $18 Mil.

We will need a team that can play 162 games plus and then some instead of blaming their early failures on the “cold weather” as if October were kind of a warm month in the Northeastern part of the country. How many times did we hear Giambi and Cano say “like I always say once it gets warmer we start hitting better” and the media goes along with them, I guess they never got paid for those “cold” months.

Lou Pinella sounded like someone who’s trying to put some distance between himself and the team he managed to lose their latest playoff series: “You’re not going to win a playoff series by scoring only six runs, let me tell you.”

And what did you do about it? Its’ not the first time Lou, with the same team Lou.

Lou never got the memo on the Division series.

On such a short series it’s a crapshoot Lou; it’s anybody’s guess and you’d better be ready for it.

The Sux have a great team and Francona is a fine Manager (the Utes love him so he must be a fine person too) but last night’s game might be a precursor to tonight’s game.

That means this series, contrary to what the Boston sporting news outlets have been saying since they beat the Angels in game one, might go back to Anaheim (not Los Angeles that’s Manny’s Dodgers domain) if the Angels can decipher Lester, a very good young pitcher and a future great one it seems, but Lackey is a fine pitcher himself therein (plus the very good regular season bats the Angels carry) lies the reason why they’ll probably go back to So. Cal for game five.

All Scioscia needs to do is show his pupils what the Boston tabloids have said about them in the last two/three days to instill some pride in them (if that’s possible in such short notice) similarly to what Francona did with his Sux players after game 3 of the ALCS in 2004 when our resident imbecile Gary Sheffield spoke to SI after said game 3 and dissed the Sux. Don’t tell me the Angels (Guerrero, Teixeira, Hunter, Anderson, Figgings, Aybar etc) have no pride. The Sux were dead in the water in that series when stupid Sheffield awoke them and the rest is history. What can they lose? They have been given up for dead anyway  . . . . . .  That should make the Angels dangerous enough.

Against Lester some Angels need to be patient while others need to be aggressive is Scioscia’s job to determine who (a free swinging lineup won’t do), this lefty throws strikes but he had some problems with Toronto in his last few games with them    . . . . . . .   so,  he’s human after all.

In the end it wasn’t the players who didn’t exactly execute but the manager who went with a bonehead play against the least likely team to fall for it: the Sux.

Scioscia kept talking afterwards about Aybar being a very able bunter but it wasn’t Aybar who called for such a terrible choice to end their chances to score the go ahead run it was him and him alone.

That was something I always liked about Torre he was not a fan of such low percentage plays, tricky baseball if you ask me.  He took a lot of grief from many fans and tabloids but he stood his ground.

Has anybody south of Foston noticed that Francona keeps using all available personnel at his disposal with success? That’s something that Torre has finally learned to do more in L.A. to use most of his roster and play favorites less and less.

What’s next? He’ll be driving a boxster on the number 5 with his hair on fire? I'm ready to believe anything. I bet those San Gabriel Mountains never looked more beautiful.

Now that the Angels have been eliminated by the Sux I hope that  Girardi is making sure he has enough videos of that ALDS to show his pupils from day one next season how it did happen that the Sux erased the Halos from contention. To me that’s a Yankee manager’s job 1. Maybe we’ll learn how the Angels could be conquered somehow.

It’s all mental, the Sux would not allow themselves to believe they could lose to this team and it worked    . . . . . . .  again.

When facing the Angels in 2009 A-rod going zero fer is a given but this is a team effort and the rest of the team should also have a say in the matter (let A-rod and his hairstylist worry about his highlights before every big series for all we care) akin to what Manny’s been saying: “We’re here and that’s what matters, the team did their part and I did mine”    . . . . .   and then some.

John Lackey was skewered by Angels’ fans after the ALDS series for becoming visibly upset on the mound after his teammates made defensive mistakes and then appearing to whine in the clubhouse about how the Angels lost to an inferior team.

"John is an emotional guy that is probably as good a teammate in this clubhouse as anybody that's been here," Scioscia said.  “Lackey's teammates understand that his words and actions are rooted in his competitiveness and desire to succeed.”

Scioscia let’s put it this way: THE GUY IS A JERK.

According to Scioscia the ill fated suicide play in the ninth was a high percentage play.  NOW it really burns me to think just how we keep losing to this team.

Are you listening Joe?

Manny hit a laser in game one of the NLCS that was still in after burner when it hit a few inches under the top of the fence over the 409-foot sign  . . . . .   easily the deepest part of the Stadium. Anywhere else in the ballpark or at Chavez Ravine that ball is gone.

Manny said afterwards: "I guess I'll have to work on my angle."

The scary part is that contrary to what Charlie Manuel might think this time Manny the hitting scholar is deep serious about it and by today’s game he’ll have a solution worked out.

L.A. Confidential.

Other than reliever McDonald and Manny the Dodgers didn’t execute; that’s no way to compete in the LCS.

Matt Kemp needs to stop dreaming and focus at the plate to help his team otherwise Jeff Kent will be absolutely right about these young guns.

They need not worry about Manny he’ll do his thing and the team better be on board when he does or they will be left out. The Phillies were lucky on both games when longs balls by Manny in the first and Casey Blake in the second, two well hit balls didn’t leave the stadium, that’s not going to happen at Chavez Ravine.

Following Ramirez, the hitting savant: “They’re playing great and you’ve got to give those guys credit,” he said. “They’re tough, especially the closer. He’s lights out. What can you do? All you’ve got to do is tip your hat.” That means two things first he’s in touch with A-rod (That crap about all you have to do is tip your hat) and second Brad Lidge is going down just like he has before with Houston. When the oracle says “They’re tough, especially the closer. He’s lights out. What can you do?”  To Manny’s cult followers all that means is “I’ll have him for breakfast next time and his butt is mine before the series is over”   . . . . . .   Guaranteed.   He’s just lulling the poor guy   . . . . . . .  Right Lowe?

According to Ramirez the Dodgers need (in not so many words ) to walk the walk NOW.

It is what it is.

You’ve got the Phils were you wanted them. Now finish them.