WHY BYB IS PRAYING TO BE BACK SOON

Power outages all over the Tri-State area have me unavailable to update you, post or even watch the Yankees Red Sox game tonight. I'm literally in the dark and freaking out. When the lights come on, we will have plenty to say about plenty of things. All I ask is you keep checking back and know we have some of the best writers and the most fun here at Bleeding Yankee Blue. Your support is felt and we won't forget it. Hurricane Irene has done damage, and let's just say... no one's happy on the East Coast right now. Let's hope the Yankees can pull out a few rallies against those Red Sox.

Back soon.

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YANKEES BEAT SOX: COME AT ME BRO!

CC Sabathia has won. He's also won against the Red Sox and that is a huge hurdle for him. Tonight, CC went only 6 innings, and gave up 10 hits and only 2 runs. He also struck out 10. The best part of the night was the Yankee bullpen kept the Sox at 2 the rest of the way. Don't look now but CC Monster has his 18th win tonight. Excellent.The Red Sox left a ton of runners on base tonight and it was great to see. The Sox left 16 men on base tonight. They threatened all night but the Yankees pitching did what they needed to do to hold them down, and they did and it was brilliant work tonight. Usually those Sox are constantly moving the runners over. Not tonight and that benefited us, for sure.Francisco Cervelli hit a homer tonight. He also got hit by a pitch. Once again the Yankees get hit by a pitch... and the Yankees are classy. No retaliation. When Cervelli got hit, the benches cleared and that adrenaline is the way it used to be. Yankee squares off against Red Sock and it's "Come at me bro! Come at me!" Look, this was intentional and while the Yankees don't retaliate, it's time, they need to tomorrow night.

Anyway... it was good to see Cervelli. You have to love his passion, and it was good to give Martin a day off.

Robinson Cano had a nice hit to score Curtis Granderson. It was a RBI's double off the green monster. Love that Cano is so clutch.
Eric Chavez gets 2 RBIs off of Lackey tonight. Chavez has been productive all year, when he's healthy of course. You have to have respect for a guy like this who has been patient in his whole career due to injury but when he's healthy, he comes through. Good for him.

Boone Logan was electric tonight and he's really coming into his own. It's about time. Yes, it's true, I'd like a lefty specialist in the pen besides Logan, but clearly he reads Bleeding Yankee Blue and feels the pressure because lately he's been rolling. Logan had a huge strikeout in the 7th inning to get out of the inning. Read (THE EXTRA LEFTY THE YANKEES DON'T HAVE.)

Mariano Rivera got his 35th save tonight. It started out alittle wacky because David Ortiz led off the inning with a double. But slowly but surely Mariano came through for the save. Beautiful. Mo needs 6 saves to get to 600.

One last thing...Brett Gardner made an incredible running catch in the 7th inning to literally save the game for the Yankees. If he doesn't catch that, the Red Sox probably capitalize on that and possibly win the game. Great defense Brett, love it.Girardi got thrown on on a hit by a pitch, swing by Saltalamacchia. Trust me, it was a swing and Girardi was right to argue this call. Bad call by the ump and Girardi shouldn't have been called out. Ridiculous.

Final tonight: Yankees 5 - Red Sox 2

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FOR THE LOVE OF MY NEW YORK YANKEES

If there’s one thing I know about Fenway, besides being one of the best historic ballparks in the world, it has some of the most obscene fans ever. Well, Phillies fans are pretty bad, but I don’t think they trained their kids to chant “ARod Sucks... Jeter Swallows.” That may be the most offensive thing you can chant at a ballpark, a park with children present to see a good game between 2 division rivals and history in the making.

I was at Fenway in 2004 and witnessed this exact little spectacle and I will tell you, while the kid had no idea what he was saying, the fans thought it was hilarious and the dad felt like a rock star for 3 minutes, high-fiving fellow Sox fans while his parrot kid was screaming obscenities to the players on the field. You wonder why I call them the evil Red Sox, it’s because that red just makes their fans see red. Next thing you know it’s an all-out assault and it’s sad.In 2007, I was at Yankee Stadium with a friend for yet another Yankees-Red Sox match up. We were in the nosebleeds in right field. Now, if you read WHAT IS A YANKEE GROUPIE? PART 2, I probably fall into “The Possum” category. I'm the guy who’d love to be obnoxious, but the reality is, I have kids, I’m 40 and I just want to see a good game. As I was trying to get through the aisle, I spilled a little beer on a Red Sox fan who tried to back up and let me in get by, but he just slid his legs over and I needed to shuffle past him. Needless to say, beer spilled. He thought purposly, although it wasn’t, but I was glad he thought so. “What the hell are you doing?” he said. “Trying to get by you, thanks for moving,” I snapped back. “You spilled beer on me.” And he stood up and we were face to face. I looked him dead in the eye and said softly “You don’t want to do this here. This is our house, not yours.” Quickly, he shut up and sat back down.

Throughout the game, the Yankees played good ball. At that point the people who sat next to this sad Red Sox fan left and I need to push more buttons…so I sat right next to him. The dude rolled his eyes. The balls on this guy, right? We Yankee fans come into Yankee stadium and we’re threatened? No Way. God forbid I tell him he’s in the wrong house. I slowly became “The Frat Boy” mentality and made sure the world knew there was a Red Sox fan in my section. Luckily, it worked. A few chants and middle fingers later that Sox fan got a taste of his own medicine, he left. The Yankees Red Sox Series to me is always great and always will be. Starting with Babe Ruth, it may be some of the most fun you can have at a ballpark. Through the years, the curse was so great for any Yankees fan and when it “ended” in 2004, I still want to believe. Why? Because for the years leading up to the Sox winning, the curse was a fun little element of the game. These days, the games are still competitive, but I don’t feel like it’s the same. The evil Red Sox are winning more for some reason and I don’t like it one bit.

So, what can we do as the New York Yankees? Win. The Yankees are the greatest team in franchise history; we have the wins, the rings and the greatest fans in the world. The Red Sox have some wins and some fans that were so old they croaked after they finally won in 2004 and then they have the latch-ons; These are Red Sox fans that weren’t Red Sox fans before they won, but they hate the Yankees so they bought a Sox hat. Passion wins every time though, that’s the difference. True fans have passion, Yankee fans have passion. Latch-on Red Sox fans can't name the lineup. What I mean is this; you can wear your stupid red cap all you want, the truth of the matter is, the Yankees are tradition, we have determination and we belong on top… that’s not just a stupid rant ladies and gentlemen, that’s the truth…

• Grady Little leaving Pedro Martinez in too long, was supposed to happen.


• Aaron Boone’s home run was supposed to happen
  


• Babe Ruth becoming a huge hitting sensation with the Yankees was supposed to happen
  


• Bill Buckner letting that ground ball go under his legs was supposed to happen.


• Roger Clemens and Wade Boggs never winning with the Sox and then winning with the Yankees… was supposed to happen.
  

It’s destiny, nothing less. Let’s Go Yankees!

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THE MARTE & FELICIANO COMEDY HOUR

This amazes and it should you too. Not that I really thought it was possible that Pedro Feliciano or Damaso Marte would return this season, but I had a glimmer of hope, but I just may need to give it up. Read about it HERE.

I recently wrote THE EXTRA LEFTY THE YANKEES NEVER HAD and in it, I described how there were several opportunities out there to gather a lefty and we even had one for a moment in Aaron Laffey and then he disappeared after 1 appearance in pinstripes. Sad, I even remember a feature in which he was interviewed saying how it was a dream come true. Read it HERE.

That being said, I also wrote about how Feliciano and Marte were going to pitch in a Gulf League game on their road back. One problem. Both experienced soreness. Trust me; these characters will not be back this season. It’s the school of Carl Pavano. I’m not saying they’re faking it, I’m saying the signings are ridiculous.

So what’s next? Luckily, we have a few options. Manny Banuelos is in the minors and while young, he’s a definite option. Cashman has stated that he doesn’t want to bring the kid up, but there’s nothing wrong with having an extra lefty in the pen, especially if we are making a run for the playoffs.

There is also that thing called a waivers deadline. Cashman is already doing it, and by doing it, I mean scoping out which lefty pitchers are out there that teams placed on waivers. Believe me, if there is an option, Cashman will do it, but I know he won’t force it. Why? Because he already forced it with Feliciano and Marte and he’s paying for it.

Look, the Yankees are winning, that is a good thing, but we’re stumbling through some days and all I’m saying is, a little extra help can’t hurt, that’s all.

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TO FLIP OR NOT TO FLIP, THAT IS THE QUESTION

So I certainly don't need to remind Yankee fans how Big Papi just owns us. I don't need to remind you all how Big Papi just digs into the batters box for every pitch and never seems concerned that an inside pitch may actually be coming. Or, God forbid a pitch that might actually dust him. And, finally, I won't remind you how Big Papi just seems to thrive hitting the long ball against us. How he spends at least a half hour standing in the batters box just watching his home runs fly out and, even flipping his bat?! Hey CC, you reading this?

Speaking of bat flipping...remember that "little" bat flipping incident back in early June? Remember when Big Papi decided to flip his bat at the Yankees after taking us deep, yet again! No one was happy with that moment, including our Yankee skipper who called out Ortiz for showing the Yankees up.

Some fans were ticked off beyond belief when Ortiz did that and were all but calling for his head. Calling for his head is just ridiculous! But, pitching inside, even waaaay inside can certainly keep a batter on his toes. Pitching inside is part of the game and always has been. Now, on the other side of the coin there were many fans saying that the Yankees basically got what they deserved for not getting that clown out. For not taking care of business on our end and letting our bats do the talking. In fact, BYB's own Christy Lee titled HEY PAPI... FLIP THIS! Christy, like a lot of fans, did not see that flipping of the bat as a big deal. Her point was the Yankees need to take care of their own business.

Anyway, we here at BYB are curious to what you all think? Should we make Big Papi eat a little dirt tonight or just let our bats do the talking? Lets us know what you think? You can comment here or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook. Now, LET'S GO YANKEES!!!



--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23

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WHY ROBINSON CANO IS NO JOKE

Now in his 7th season with the New York Yankees, in my opinion, Robinson Cano has become one of the most reliable, consistent Yankees in our lineup, especially in 2011. Not only has he been putting together All Star caliber numbers and statistics, Cano has become a leader in that clubhouse.

Listen, we all know who our Captain is and there is no discussion needed on how amazing Derek Jeter is as a player and as a leader. In fact, check out Casey's piece: WHY DEREK JETER'S OUR CAPTAIN, but, if there was such a title as a team "Lieutenant" or "Captain-in-Waiting" I would look towards Robinson Cano. Look no further than this season for proof of Cano's worth to this team. Heading into today our Yankees were just one game out of first in the AL East. This despite injuries to our studs like Jeter and ARod. Not to mention the drama of "Posada-gate" and the AJ Burnett nightmare, but game after game Cano was the glue that held this team together. He has quietly put together solid numbers at the plate and played an effortless, almost flawless, second base.

Now, I think most Yankee fans will agree that Curtis Granderson is not only the Yankees MVP this season but probably the AL MVP. In fact, we at BYB have begun the Granderson MVP campaign already. Check out WHY THE 2011 AL MVP PLAYS IN THE BRONX. But when you look up at the box score every night it seems that Cano is either 1-4 or 2-4, with 1-2 runs scored and throw in an RBI or two. And most of his hits are for extra base hits. He's just a consistent hitting machine.

Since numbers don't lie, I broke down his stats per month. Check it out..

• April: .320 AVG. - 8 HR's - 21 RBI - .340 OBP

• May: .250 AVG. - 3 HR's - 16 RBI - .305 OBP

As you see, May was not a great month for Cano but despite the low average he played a great 2nd base and still managed 16 RBIs for the month in 28 games.

• June: .303 AVG. - 3 HR's - 14 RBI - .367 OBP

• July: .311 AVG. - 2 HR's - 17 RBI - .359 OBP

• Aug.: .340 AVG. - 7 HR's - 27 RBI - .368 OBP (thru August 29th)

So like I said, Cano's numbers will not blow you out of the water and I am not campaigning for the AL MVP, all I am trying to point out is his consistency and to be sure we don't overlook what this guy has done, so far, for the 2011 Yankees. His batting average continues to climb as does his runs batted in and on base percentage. And, probably the most important numbers are the ones with runners in scoring position (RISP). As we have all witnessed with our own eyes this season, it seems that the Yankees are leaving an unusually high number of runners on base. If we aren't hitting a home run, then they are not scoring. But not so for Cano. Check out his stats this season with runners in scoring position:

• .308 AVG. - 7 HR's - 74 RBI - Of his 39 hits with RISP, 15 have been for doubles along with 2 triples.

So of Cano's 40 hits with RISP, 24 have been for extra base hits. Now, that's getting it done, and there is still a lot of baseball to be played. Keep it Robbie, we love you in Yankeeland!


--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23

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THE YANKEES: FAIRY TALE IN THE MAKING?

Sunday, during the Yankees vs. Orioles game broadcast, the YES Network’s Michael Kay started his pre-game montage by describing Saturday night’s loss as a “heartbreaker”. As we all know too well now, Sunday’s loss was not only heartbreaking, but it was also gut wrenching.

Women are no strangers to heartbreak. We were raised on stories like Cinderella and Snow White, where determination and heart always bring results. We’ve all had those “so close, but yet so far moments” in our lives, where we have been forced to pick up where we left off, dust off, and move on. Making the best of what we have is a way of life for us. That doesn’t mean, however, that we don’t dream about what things would be like if we reached out beyond our comfort zone and all of our dreams came true.

Most recently, the Yankees are Cinderella, the World Series Championship is Prince Charming’s Ball, and the Red Sox are the evil stepmother.Knowing what we want, and how to get it, is very different when you are at the mercy of decisions made by other people that aren’t actually playing the game. Decisions like leaving Bartolo Colon in for too long on Sunday, for example. Colon’s horse drawn coach turned into a pumpkin during the 8^th inning, yet Fairy Godmother Joe Girardi decided to keep him in, and making pumpkin pie out of the inning. When ARod stepped up to bat in the 9^th, the shoe just didn’t fit, and an inning-ending double play ended all chances of getting to the ball. So if you’re asking, “whatever happened to “Someday My Prince Will Come”? In this case, the fairy godmother, the evil stepmother and other influences seem to have more influence over our team than in necessary.

All of the Cinderella and Snow White references aren’t just for poetic license. It’s a lesson to be learned. When everyone is against you, and the situation seems hopeless, you need that same determination, hope, and yes, maybe even a little faith and trust, to get to the dance. Back to the grind, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start over again. If there’s one thing that those fairy tales taught us, it’s that nothing is easy, and many times, it will seem like nothing or no one is on your side. But don’t give up. If you do that, all hope is lost.

I’m not saying that the Yankees need to break into song or dance around the field with little bluebirds; no, that’s not it. But if they whistle while they work, shake it off, and push forward, and put their hearts into the grind, maybe we can put the days of heartbreak far behind us after all, we're about to play the evil stepmother in Beantown... and it's Show time.

--Christy Lee, BYB Staff Writer



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WHY ANY KIND OF BASEBALL IS FUN

(Photo: Lem Allen)
Recently I took my family to a Short-Season, NY-Penn league between the Hudson Valley Renegades (Rays) and the Vermont Lake Monsters (Athletics). It really brought me back to why I love this game. First off, Dutchess Stadium may be no frills, but it's a wonderful place to see a ballgame. There are box seats, which seem to be roomier than anything I’ve sat in at either Yankee Stadium. Even the metal bleachers have backs and the last row is no more than 50 feet from the field. It brought me back to when I played as a kid, dreaming of getting just 1 at-bat in the big ballpark in the Bronx.

The game was a little sloppy, but these guys are what, 18, 19, 20 at the most? However they all played hard. No one dogged it. They all ran hard to first; every time. Watching these guys made me wonder where some of our professionals pick up their bad habits? I actually bumped into a couple players walking through the concourse. Most of them had baby faces and were all trying to live out their boyhood dreams.

When all was said and done, my hometown Renegades pulled out a 6-5 victory and remained in third place behind the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets). Oddest part for me was the left-handed, first basemen wearing number 23. Jeff Malm doesn’t appear to be much of a hitter, but he played decent defense. I grew up loving Don Mattingly and I wondered if Malm did too.I was engrossed in the game; loving every minute of it. My kids, however, couldn’t get enough of the alternate entertainment. Between innings they do an excellent job of putting on a show and really making it fun for the whole family. On the way home, both of my kids said they had “a really fun time, but the game was boring”. A win for Dad?

Will any of these kids make the “Show”? I’d like to think so, I mean Josh Hamilton and Evan Longoria have both passed through here. Only time will tell.

-- Lem Allen, BYB Freelance Writer
bybcurmudgeon@gmail.com




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WHY THE YANKEES WILL BRING MOMENTUM TO BOSTON

(Photo: Getty)
It started out hard in Baltimore. The New York Yankees were never supposed to lose any games in Camden yards. After all, the Orioles are in last place and the ultimate goal is not only beating them, but also beating Buck Showalter. Read WHY BUCK FALLS SHORT if you haven't already.

The point is, the Yankees are a great ball club and the Orioles, while they have talent, were put on a false pedestal by a manager that has never won a championship, but instead, only came close. Flapping lip about the Yankees captain was a "No no" and he should never forget the mistake he made.
Freddy Garcia was great tonight, using 6 different kinds of pitches in his performance tonight. Wow. How does he do it? He's reinvented himself and Lord knows he's sticking around. He pitched 6 innings, gave up 2 hits and 1 run and had 4 strikeouts. Love it.
The offense was simple, Mark Teixeria doubled in Granderson to start off the runs in the game. Then, the dude who's been hot in this series...Nick Swisher. Damn, he's the man. Nick homered in 2 tonight. That's the Yankees 3.

Rafael Soriano looked great in the 7th and a very impressive strikeout to get out of the inning. David Robertson gave up a homer to JJ Hardy but while that was rare, it was 1 mistake and DRob got out of the 8th. That's the first home run he's given up in over a year. Amazing stat.

Overall, the Yankees gave up 2 runs to the Orioles, and yes, the O's were threatening, but the Orioles don't have what the Yankees have... Mariano Rivera.(Photo: Getty)
Mariano Rivera came in a closed the door on the Orioles and looked amazing. Look, if there is one thing you need to know, it's this; Rivera is the greatest closer ever in the history of closers. He's just incredible and I'm in awe every single time he's out there. Tonight was no different.
Read WHY MARIANO RIVERA DESERVES AN HBO DOC. he does, bottom line.

Final Score: Yankees 3 - Orioles 2.

Off to Boston where the Yankees have to take a stand... a stand for first place. Momentum brings confidence...here we go!

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WHY TRADING BURNETT FOR BAY MAKES SENSE

(Photo: Getty)
The New York Daily News Stan Chrapowicki had a great piece about the Yankees struggling AJ Burnett and the Mets struggling Jason Bay and asked the very interesting question, would you swap the two? Read about it HERE.

He writes: "It's obvious he's no longer the Bombers' No. 2 starter, and he wouldn't be one in Flushing either, but he wouldn't have to fill that spot in the rotation. Until Johan Santana returns, he could pitch pressure free as the Mets' No. 5 behind Mike Pelfrey, Jonathon Niese, Dillon Gee and R.A. Dickey."

Stop right there. This is totally true and while I love Chrapowicki thinking out of the box, to me, AJ Burnett being moved down in the rotation on the Yankees would make just as much sense as perhaps trading him to the Mets for Jason Bay. But look, the world hates AJ Burnett right now. I even wrote WHY BURNETT SEALED HIS FATE after his last horrendous pitching performance and i was convinced, CONVINCED he pitched his way out of the rotation. But he has Joe Girardi wrapped around his finger and was given 1 more shot against the evil Red Sox this upcoming series. Why? Because, while AJ Burnett is a loser, he's not a total loser, he can still pitch in the bottom of the rotation somewhere if not on the New York Yankees. Now, Stan's right, the Mets make sense. Especially in a field like that where nothing leaves the ballpark. He may even turn into a star.

Then Chrapowicki brilliantly ties in Jason Bay. He writes:

"Not only would Bay be back in the league in which he had a career year (2009 with the Red Sox), he would be playing his home games at Yankee Stadium, which has been a launching pad since it opened three years ago. In his year and a half with Boston, Bay proved he could handle baseball's most intense rivalry (remember his game-tying blast off Mariano Rivera two years ago), so putting on the pinstripes should be no problem for him."

Right on Stan. Jason Bay was a star with the Red Sox and he could also be at Yankee Stadium with the way it's built. Lord knows no one is hitting home runs out of Citi Field, right David Wright? Bay provides a big bat in the lineup as a DH and an outfielder on platoon days. Make sense? It kind of does.
Once we have a bat like Bay in the lineup, we can finally utilize our young pitching and stop wasting a spot for Burnett. Look at Ivan Nova, right? He just won number 14 yesterday. We just wrote about Nova in THE RISE OF NOVA, THE FALL OF BURNETT. At this point, I'd take Nova in that #2 role over Burnett any day of the week. Maybe next season Phil Hughes gets right too, he could be #3. How about the kids on the farm, could they then get a fair shot? See what I mean? The pitching falls into order nicely and no headache of Burnett.

I applaud Stan Chrapowicki, great piece, I hope everyone gets a chance to read it. I loved it.

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WHY IT'S BIZARRO WORLD

I was reading the Orange County Register online who had this nugget from the Los Angeles Times and to be honest, I can't believe I missed it. Read it HERE.

At first it confused me and then it made me smile. Wow, maybe not all people hate the New York Yankees or Derek Jeter. Maybe, just maybe, the tradition and ability of a 36 year old baseball player in pinstripes who will no doubt be up there with names like Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle will get respect from cities other than in the Tri-State area.

It turns out… and I hope I’m not on Candid Camera right now, that The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are taking the high road to the sake of major League Baseball and honoring, not an Angel on September 9^th, but a New York Yankee… a baseball player…#2…..Derek Jeter. Sounds like Bizarro World, but it’s true and I applaud them. Why? Because it’s not about an individual team, it’s about the ability of an individual ballplayer... Derek Jeter.

According to the OC Register, the Angels Vice President of Communications was quoted as saying “We are stilling finalizing some things… It is fair to say we want to honor the man, the player and the person in some form.”

For the love of baseball, this is a classy move by the Angels. The Yankees and the Angels have had their competitive runs against each other over the recent years and it’s safe to say this gesture turns the other cheek for the sake of baseball. I respect it and appreciate it.

When asking Jeter what he thought, he said, “I think baseball fans appreciate things like that, But in terms of being honored by another team, I haven’t thought about it.”

I have thought about it and while I appreciate the gesture, you have to wonder how baseball fans and Angels fans in Angels Stadium will react. I would expect fans will get it and a standing ovation would take place, but to tell you the truth, with that stupid rally monkey all over Angels Stadium and the rivalry that has developed over the years between the 2 teams, there will be plenty of booing and aggravation. I guess that's part of the game too. We'll have to see what happens. After all, those Cali fans are having this forced on them and Jeter’s not a Rod Carew or a Tim Salmon to them… it’s Derek Jeter, a New York Yankee.

Bottom line, I hope it all works out and I hope the fans get it, respect the decision and they have a good time, after all, Derek Jeter may be a Yankee Icon, but he’s a baseball icon to boot and he makes me proud.

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WHY THE YANKEES SPLIT & GRANDERSON IS KING

(Photo: Getty)
This needs to be brief. It's been an interesting 16 hours. After I wrote about how Hurricane Irene was a big fat baby, that's when the real trouble began. The loss of power and the rising of the water table in my basement have kept us busy. But like I've said before, everyone is safe. I wish I was able to watch the games, but could only listen in between the slopping up of water and borrowing a friends generator. The phones are out too. At moments I feel like it's Little House on the Prairie and my son's going to call me "Pa". The difference is the kids in that show helped their parents. My kids want to know if I know where their DS is. Luckily I have 1 hard line and it's in my basement, next to the furnace. But enough about me, the Yankees split a double header yesterday...this is what I know about it.

In the first came, Zach Britton was able to hold the Yankees down limiting us to 4 hits in 7 innings. The Yankees never scored in Game 1. Bartolo Colon was pitching pretty well, he gave up 2 runs and 7 hits in 7 2/3 innings. But, game over, nothing more to say.(Photo: New York Times)
Final Score: Orioles 2 - Yankees 0.

Game 2 was different, the Yankees woke up. The Yankees demolished Brian Matusz when Curtis Granderson cranked a home run off him and then smashed another in the 7th... that's 2 home runs and that's his 38th of the year. What's bigger is he now leads the major leagues in Home runs. Who would have thunk it? The 2 other home runs came in the 6th inning, back to back to back, Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher and then Andruw Jones. Both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez did not play Game 2.

Ivan Nova pitched the second game and gave up 3 runs on 7 hits in 7 innings. He win his 10th straight and won his 14 of the season.

Final Score: Yankees 8 - Orioles 3.

I wish I could expand more, but I can't. It's been chaotic for me since I last posted, but we're going to get through it. Thanks for reading.

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WHY BASEBALL NEVER STOPS

Hurricane, Smurricane, let's play ball.

It's bizarre how the East coast was, bracing for the end of the world. If you went into any food store on Saturday, it looked like this.
That's what's left of the vegetables. All over the news, it was crazy, telling us to leave town, and businesses are shutting down and make sure you have batteries. Yes, I appreciate all the important information, but each one fed off each other and by the time it reached Saturday at 12pm in the Tri-State area, it was practically reported as Armageddon. It reminded me of this terrific Walt Disney Cartoon I watched as a kid:



But the reality is, it was a bad storm and by the time it hit the Tri-State area, it gave us a shit load of rain, that entered my basement around 6am this morning and then... stopped. Yes, it is sad to report that there was some tragedy and is definitely major flooding, but the reality is, if you took steps to keep your family safe, flooding that's in my house is minor. My rug can be replaced, my kid can't.

As I kissed everyone goodnight last night, I had 1 weird thought in the back of my mind; would the Yankees play? Is it really that important? Now, as I look out my window, I realize, it's over, and while destructive, life continues... baseball continues... the Yankees quest for 28... continues.

So, the Yankees day night double header hopefully happens today and the first game set to start at 1:35 p.m., is still scheduled to be played as planned.

The match ups today are most likely Bartolo Colon vs. Zach Britton. The Yanks were going to have Nova, but now he's pitching game 2.

The night game matches Ivan Nova vs. Brian Matusz.

An interesting nugget from Mark Hale of the New York Post says the Yankees are furious with the way Major League Baseball handled the rescheduling of yesterday's games. Apparently one of the games from yesterday we rescheduled for September 8th. WTF. Read the story HERE. Hale writes:

"Brian Cashman said his team was left out of the rescheduling arrangements for one of the two games postponed yesterday, which is now scheduled to be played Sept. 8. But the Orioles insist they've done nothing wrong and maintain both Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association approved the Sept. 8 date."

I get it. The Yankees should be pissed, a night game and then they need to travel to play first place Boston. You want to be rested when you play those guys, not worn out. It sucks...whatever though, it's BS but we'll have to deal with it. Game on.

So listen, if you're going to the game today in Baltimore, have fun. Remember, the worst is behind us. Now that we know that everyone is safe, it's play ball, and thank the good Lord for that.

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