Sing it now…”What a long, strange trip it’s been…”
Recap: Offense pathetic. Ponson not bad, 7 2/3, 4 R. One bad pitch to Adam Freakin’ Everett. Lefty on the mound, but Damon (leading league in BA) and Giambi not in lineup. Hey, it’s not like they can’t hit lefties. Instead, Christian, Melky and Sexson are in there. Sheesh. Yanks waste a few chances, can’t score with 1st and 3rd and none out…in other words, what we’ve seen all year.
2-6 on the trip so far. Joba hurt, Ian sucked again, Marte ineffective …. sing it, Grateful Dead.
YANKEES (63-55, 3rd, 8 1/2 GB. (4 back of WC) OPS+105, ERA+ 98; on Pythagorean).
BA/HR/RBI/SB/OPS+ (100 = league average)
Christian LF 10 for 36. .278-0-6-6-86
Jeter SS .283-7-56-7-99
Abreu RF .287-15-77-14-119
A. Rodriguez 3B .315-26-70-16-164 (BA with RISP? .239)
Nady DH .365-5-13-0-204 in 52 AB with NYY. Overall, PIT/NY, .335-18-70-1-150
Cano 2B .263-10-54-1-85
Sexson 1B 7 for 24 with NYY, 1 HR, 6 RBI, OPS+ 129. Overall, Sea/NY .225-12-36-1-92
I. Rodriguez C 5 for 18 NYY. 1 HR, 1 RBI. OPS+ 101 Overall Det/NY .294-6-33-6-100
Cabrera CF .245-8-36-9-71
Ponson RHP NYY 3-1, 4.73, ERA+ 89. Overall, Tex/NY, 7-2, 4.23, ERA+ 100
Pete Abraham questions the lineup, for good reason. Just because the Twins are throwing a lefty, Giambi and Damon are sitting? Christian leadoff? With Melky (and his weak righty bat) in the lineup? Hmmmmmmm……
By the way, Damon’s .322 LEADS THE LEAGUE. HMMMM…..
Could Tampa come back to the pack? Suzyn reports that besides the Crawford injury, that Evan Longoria broke his wrist. She also said that the White Sox are apparently interested in Washburn, who cleared waivers. If he cleared, my take on the Yanks is that they’ve gone down that road, tried every angle, and couldn’t make a deal or figured he wasn’t worth the price.
Forty years ago today, my dad took me to my first MLB game. Twins/Yanks at the Stadium. Mantle was given the day off (still sobbing). Twins won 11-2. Want to see the boxscore? I’m shocked that on that Sunday afternoon that I was one of just 19,666. It seemed like more, but then I was only six.
Two out then two hits in the first. Do the Yanks score? NO.
1st and 3rd, no one out in the 2nd inning, and do you think the Yanks scored? Hell, no.
*#@%! and double *#@%!!!
The failure to score dooms the Yanks. Ponson gives up a two-run HR to Adam Everett. Adam Stinkin’ .209 with 1 HR Everett. 2-0, Minny.
Bottom 5th. Still 2-0 Twins. Yanks offense doing nothing and when they put runners on…same old same old.
3-0. Ouch. Yanks’ offense doing nada….again. Decent performance by Ponson being wasted. Just like the past couple times. Not to mention Giese’s outing. Wasting good outings from unexpected sources. Ouch.
43 responses so far ↓
1 Jason // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Happy Anniversary Mike, and how fitting it is that forty years later, the Yankees are playing the Twins. Hopefully the Yankees can get a long-awaited win as celebration.
2 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Check the boxscore, Jason?
3 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:43 pm
I checked the box score. What a line up! I hereby dub you a true Yankee fan (as if anyone had any doubts), having learned to root for a team when the wheels were off of the bandwagon. I hardly recognize any of the names, apart from White, Clarke and Pepitone, but that is like bragging that I wet the bed.
4 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:49 pm
You should recognize some, Jeff. Dick Howser, Bobby Cox, Tommy Tresh, Rocky Colavito, Mel Stottlemyre, Bill Robinson.
For the Twins, Cesar Tovar, Rich Reese, Rod Carew, Bob Allison, Tony Oliva, Dean Chance, Johnny Roseboro, Ted Uhlander…
If you are wondering about Killebrew, he was on the DL.
5 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:51 pm
OK - I recognize the names and in fact remember seeing some of them play, but check out those batting averages. Urgh. I remember being at a game where Ron (?) Wood was playing right field and dove over the railing and came up with the ball. Pretty much one of the few highlights between my birth 08/13/62 and my move to Pittsburgh 08/13/75.
6 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:52 pm
1968 All-Star Game, July 9th.
Bottom of the 3rd, NL All-Stars Batting, Ahead 1-0, Blue Moon Odom facing 1-2-3
Blue Moon Odom replaces Ken Harrelson pitching and batting 9th
W Mays Groundout: SS-1B
C Flood Groundout: SS-1B
Boog Powell replaces Harmon Killebrew playing 1B batting 6th
W McCovey Strikeout
Killebrew was injured on the Flood play. Hence the DL.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB. AL All-Stars 0, NL All-Stars 1.
7 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:54 pm
On the Flood play, Killebrew stretched, and snapped his hammy.
8 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:57 pm
The 1968 Yanks’ team batting average was a franchise low .214.
I remember that play! Yaz hit it. Murcer was playing CF. Woods was knocked unconscious. Murcer got over there and held up Woods glove with the ball in it. What the ump never saw (and Bobby confessed years later) was that the ball was outside the glove and he slipped it into the glove just before the ump got out there to check things out. Yaz was absolutely furious.
9 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:58 pm
1968… the year of the pitcher.
10 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:59 pm
OMG - that’s right. You are amazing, my friend.
11 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 8:59 pm
My Dad and i were in right field.
12 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Since we have these moments while the Yankees offense is idle, Mike, tell me one or two of your most memorable non-championship memories of the Bombers.
13 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:13 pm
white sox 1-0 over the botox in the 3rd
14 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:16 pm
You would have to give me more info, Jeff. Was it a DH you were at? Who were the pitchers? You may not remember, but this MIGHT be the game.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197006281.shtml
15 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Well, I remember being there on 7/20/69 when the game was stopped by the announcement that the Eagle has landed. We got back to the club that ran the bus trip in time to see the moonwalk (Neil Armstrong, not Michael Jackson)
16 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Thanks to baseball reference, I can find the dates.
8/15/93. With my cousin’s husband, who was from Maryland and an Orioles fan. 1-0 Yanks. Kamieniecki over Ben McDonald. HR Mattingly.
Two things about that game.
Morganna came out to get Kamieniecki. I had upper deck seats. Saw two “basketballs” bouncing in front of Morganna. Great view.
The second? Mattingly’s HR. Think Jeffrey Maier, but three years earlier.
17 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:28 pm
That 8/15 game in 1993 was “Therapy.” On July 16th of that year, my dad died.
18 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:30 pm
pleasant, gauzey, momories, win or lose. i remember being at DHs. I remember bernie, tony and rico. What a long time ago. i remember i was in school for the moonwalk. you must have been playing hookey.
19 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:32 pm
July 20th? No hookey.
20 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Dads are great for most baseball fans. In fact, I venture a guess they are responsible for most most of them. I told you I flew my Dad to Yankee stadium last year, but the game was rained out. this year the Yanks came to Pittsburgh, so I took him and the game was rained out!
21 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:34 pm
sorry. I remember a school assembly regarding the moonshot. Maybe it was apollo 13?
22 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:35 pm
now i have to check my facts. good thing i am not a beat reporter. you would tear me up. lol
23 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:36 pm
April 11, 1970. Thats my story and I’m sticking to it.
24 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Probably the aborted Apollo 13. That was in April 1970, right when McCartney announced the Beatles were finished. Yup, school assemblies then, and prayer that those astronauts would be returned to Earth safely.
25 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:37 pm
The papers got the announcement from Paul on April 10, 1970, one week before the release of the McCartney album.
26 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Crap. How can Sidney Ponson be pitching in the 7th, having only given up three runs, and we aren’t even close. Wo is us!
27 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:50 pm
The botox are still losing though and J Bay just struck out with two on, thank you very much.
28 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:50 pm
As I speak these words, JD Drew drives in two. Grrrr.
29 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Just talked to Josh. Not happy.
30 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:54 pm
You can’t waste good outings by a Ponson or Giese, and the Yanks have been doing just that.
31 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Me thinks Tim the Wizard wants to do one of the following:
1) stay in Asia. Beats the Yanks right now.
2) see Olympics while in Asia. Beats the Yanks right now.
3) Come back full of fury to attack said team.
32 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:00 pm
What’s your 20 there Sommer. I’m in Lancaster at the moment. I should have thought to look you up earlier. Someday we will meet.
33 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Tim is a great wizard with strong and powerful magic. I would not want to be a Yankee now.
34 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I’m about 7 miles from Allentown.
35 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:04 pm
You know, this whole Kennedy curfuffle regarding “its okay” seems endemic to the too much of the roster (melky and others). Maybe Yogi and other old timers need to visit the clubhouse.
36 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:06 pm
When I am next through the Allentown area, i will be sure to make previous arrangements for a beer to catch up on Yankees and music and life. I think we could fill an hour or three with conversation.
37 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:08 pm
It is sad that the yanks offense is still idle, two hours later. Damn.
38 Mike Sommer // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Agreed, Jeff.
39 Jeff // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Goodnight, Mike. Later.
40 yankeemza781 // Aug 11, 2008 at 11:03 pm
What your seeing is the end of the Yankees season. best case scenario 4-6 on the road trip. Look like a team that can’t wait for the season to end. Why rush Chamberlain back, this team in no certain term sucks offense and defense. to see Christian, Melky, and sexson in the lineup is a f–king joke. Giradi is thinking ahead as if this shit team is going to make the playoffs. Resting players taking your best hitter out of the lineup. If I was you Mike start keeping an eye on Rashard Mendenhall and that revamped o-line in Pittsburgh. Baseball season is just about over.
41 Mike Sommer // Aug 12, 2008 at 6:40 am
If you heard YFCR on Sunday, or the podcast, you heard me reply immediately to Joe Colarusso’s question. When he asked if the Yanks would make the playoffs, I immediately and without reservation answered “No.”
I did catch some of the Steelers/Eagles last week. Now I’m wondering about finding a backup QB since Batch got a broken collarbone. Too bad Pennington went to Miami.
42 Jeff // Aug 12, 2008 at 9:07 am
Byron Leftwich signed 1 year deal with the Steelers.
43 Jason // Aug 12, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Very interesting and insightful comments during the game, guys. I wish I could have hung out.
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