CC Sabathia took the mound like a man on a mission, as he shut down the Tampa Bay Rays and almost threw a no hitter.
Sabathia tore-up a Rays squad which includes Longoria, Crawford, Pena and Upton, not an easy task at all.
CC exited in the eighth inning with two outs, after his old Indians teammate Kelly Shoppach broke-up his near flawless performance, whacking a single into left field.
Tropicana Field was on its feet, to give the ace well earned praise for his outstanding performance. Just four outs shy of catching David Cone, who was the last Yankee to accomplish this feat in 1999.
CC Sabathia was pitching sound as a rock, and that is why he is the reigning ace of the World Series Champs.
Credit also goes to Francisco Cervelli, the Yankees rookie catcher who was so secure in his first start behind the plate. Along with Arod’s defense at third and Tex’s at first CC knew his team had his back.
Another Yankee got a much needed break-out after going 0-17 at the plate, as Mark Teixeira went 3-4 and Yankee Universe had a sigh of relief.
Early struggles at the plate typical for Tex. It is common knowledge that Tex starts off slow, to a point where it is almost mandatory. Regardless of the past, it does not require the effort of witnessing this any easier. Continue reading ‘Yankees CC’d The Rays At The Trop’ »
My answer is absolutely not, it would be stupid. If it ain’t broke, why break it? Why ruin a good thing?
Now the Yankees are at the top of the baseball world again. They are the champs and it was done as a team.
Let’s not forget that they are the Yankees, and they are never short of drama. The latest starting the second after Tex caught the last out at first base to win the World Series.
Will it be Hediki Matsui or Johnny Damon? Will both stay or will both be let go into the free agent market?
In my humble, fan’s opinion neither should go anywhere.
The pair happen to be two of the largest factors to this years success. Moreover, they shined where it mattered most, in the World Series.
Both are just darn good baseball players, who can handle the pressures of the spotlight by playing the game the smart way.
The debating game between fans and media is just starting.
In my following two posts I will give my plea for keeping both thesetwo players. Mainly focusing on what they have accomplished this seasonbut in this case the post-season would give me plenty of reasons tofight with already.
*Please not that the Yankees also have Andy Pettitte but that is a no-brainer, that is if Pettitte wants to continue to play.
*Other players of note Jose Molina, Jerry Hariston, Eric Hinske, Xavier Nady and Chien-Ming Wang contracts are all up.
Molina is the only real possibility of staying in pinstripes. Cashman will probably stay with in house Francisco Cervelli showing he can play, hit and got some nice playing time in the bigs.
Nady and Wang will not be ready when 2010 begins so bye-bye.
Hinske and Hariston switch teams as fast as Damon stole two bases on the Phillies. Hariston can be replaced in-house and Hinske was never really used.
Can you believe the mid-point of the baseball season almost upon us made known by the upcoming All-Star break serving as the intermediate point? Well believe it because it’s here….
It is only fair that I can conclude the past of my Yankees first 82 games with the passion of a true fan but being honest where needed. Furthermore I will attempt to reason with any doubters of the future scenarios that could play out ahead in determining if the Bronx Bombers will make the post-season.
I just want to clarify that the future is not a fact yet and there are so many obstacles that are out of the Yankees range regarding other teams performances that could play major impacts all around baseball. With the many injuries that will definitely occur and some break out performances that nobody had even cared to have thought of it is impracticable to anticipate for this reason. I am talking with the Yankees team and what needs to be tried or done to make New York have the best odds of getting back in the place where the Yanks used to be a regular in.
I have written this positive aspect many times already on my blog. The team’s foremost and most crucial improvement displayed by the Yanks is they are finally working as a team. I have witnesses this in every sport that it does not matter how many Lebron James or Tom Brady’s are on a team if there is no “team” and only individuals with big egos their will be no championships. A bunch of scrappers who stand behind any guy they call a teammate no matter what or why but just for that fact alone is crucial and especially in baseball.
The days of the Yankees decade of the 90’s are years back. And regardless of the money spent on star players, this year’s NY Yankee team works together and plays together which is something money cannot buy.
Now the Yankees are cemented as being considered the second biggest threat in the American League to the Boston Red Sox. This might have something to do with it by having to be the comparison of what a championship team looks like being their biggest rivals. Hey it’s sports and regardless of pay checks or past steroid reports as huge distractions these men are athletes. Athletes who are competitive and when everyone has the same desire it becomes a goal, which entails when one guy is struggling, another mate is there to pick him up. This must continue for the Yankees, which can get so tough on any team with the season’s ups and downs. Continue reading ‘Star Light, Star Bright, Here Is My Wish For The Yankees Tonight’ »
Since inter league play has become more prevalent in the schedule, it is starting to become more competitive then in years past.
The joke has always been the NL is not comparable to the AL. I used to think that meant the AL has better teams, more talented players which is false in a sense. I believe that the AL has more competitive divisions then the national league but as we saw last year the world series was won by the NL Philadelphia Phillies.
I never took the Phillies as more then being the hottest team at the right time, cause the last 3 years they pull it together at the end of the season with winning and the Mets collapse which basically cements their playoff berth. At least that is what I blew off as thinking it is just the NL. And this past weekend the champs sure showed why it was no fluke. The Yanks played well but only after the first was a loss cause Philly came to play and I think it brought the Yankees back down to earth, which as a fan I sadly think was needed.
I do conclude that the Yanks are a better team then the Phillies but because being a Yankee is being a Yankee it is easier to forget we can get beaten. Overall Philly is struggling with starting rotation, Brad Lidge is a mess (feel badly for him) and Hamel’s looked good on Sunday but he has not even been close to his norm. Hamel’s was hurt I know and maybe thats been beating him down but regadless the why of it the team knows that their pitching is shaken at the moment. I mean do you think that their workd series rings would have been there without Hamel’s and Lidge??? So the Phillies utilize their strengths to pick up that slack. The Yanks are starting to get this concept which is crucial and results in wins. A concept I feel the NL is defining, maybe not by choice but who cares cause it is working. For the AL, Tampa Bay was that last year as well….and look at the two teams who made it to the finish line; god maybe its just easy for me to be critical as a fan or maybe I am a genius but I bet this is not a rule that players can be ordered to follow. It happens but…..,
I worry…….what if Arod goes down again or Jeter’s leg (god forbid)…..is Tex going back to unreliable or will the team will fall apart? Also, Mo is still one of the best, we all seem to forget that he is still human and sometimes he needs the team to pick him up as well. But Mo is always so classy….. unlike another closer who acted like the biggest f’in baby I have ever seen in a professional athlete when the Mets, Omir Santos smack a 2 run homer right in the face of the big, bad green monster. Papelbon, who I already hate for his gay kilt dancing and his blow fish face he makes when he pitches always give such a show when he makes a mistake that I can still hate him without even crediting his talent for it!! So keep it up Papel-tard cause your attitude is awesome for everything you don’t want to be as a closer or a Yankee for that matter. God he pisses me off; please excuse my tangent of rage and watch the video here to understand me or not….
Apologies for getting completely off track but he is such a god damn pain in the everywhere….now getting back to post.
Overall 8 of 10 wins is a great run of home games and the Twins are much better then they played so that was a nice sweep. As big poppy is slumping in an unthinkable fashion the Red Sox pick him up. Toronto has one lights out, probably the best in all of baseball in Roy Halladay and use it as inspiration and to thrive off his energy.
The Yankees have every position across the board (except middle relief is struggling but who’s isn’t) covered with great utility guys to fill spots. Both our catchers are both on the DL but Francisco Cervelli is earning the respect of his teammates and the fans quite quickly. Cervelli reminds me of the best of both Posada and Molina….he is confident and he can hit around .300 at that ! The main concern as most would understand is that he is catching for some of the best ptichers in baseball….CC, AJ, Andy, Mo, Wang (soon) and Hughes. I get nervous at the thought of it but he looks like an old pro. The 23 year old is exceeding all expectations! I thought we were in some trouble cause Posada’s bat is huge and Molina is a great defender overall but Cervelli has the talent to be the future and I am totally more than okay with that. And with Girardi and Pena as past catchers themselves he should only get better.
The point I am so inadequately attempting to make is that today’s win 11-1 against Texas, who has a serious lineup of hitters who were up against Phil Hughes is the perfect example. Hughes looks tougher in every sense from last season but he is still young and doesn’t have the experience behind the rest of our starters (even Joba is more confident as last season he stayed up) so our lineup and defense had to step it. To win the game, yes but also to give Hughes a little breathing room and let him show his best stuff without the game on his shoulders cause we couldn’t get the runners on base in for a run. And that’s what the team just did!!
Not playing as a team over the last few seasons is exactly what has prevented the Yankees from winning. Just being at the game I can see the players being a team; I think Jeter has finally accepted Arod which I feel is all Alex really needed to finally be a part of something. The short stop was finally laughing and actually having whispers behind the glove which seemed to be inside jokes betweend the two. Maybe its cause now that Arod has done something that Jeter will never has on his record there is that wall of supiority, for whatever reason, has come down. Or maybe Arod is relieved to have nothing on his chest or maybe Jeter is finally feeling like he is the shortstop, not the captain and face of the Yankees who is keeping his position cause of rank or right. I can tell you something is different this year and that is not because I want it to be for my own sake, it is what it is.
So since it just is….as long as the team is working and winning reason can be as simple as ‘it just is’. If ‘it’ keeps up…. I think the Yanks will be there in the end but it will be a fight and as a fan my job is to cheer to keep the players wanting it!! Here is my pledge as a fan…….
I will do it as a fan from the bottom of my heart and never give up!!! Keep playing as the team you have become and when one teammate struggles…..have his back!!!! And when the team struggles I will have yours!!
The joke has always been the NL is not comparable to the AL. I used to think that meant the AL has better teams, more talented players which is false in a sense. I believe that the AL has more competitive divisions then the national league but as we saw last year the world series was won by the NL Philadelphia Phillies.
I never took the Phillies as more then being the hottest team at the right time, cause the last 3 years they pull it together at the end of the season with winning and the Mets collapse which basically cements their playoff berth. At least that is what I blew off as thinking it is just the NL. And this past weekend the champs sure showed why it was no fluke. The Yanks played well but only after the first was a loss cause Philly came to play and I think it brought the Yankees back down to earth, which as a fan I sadly think was needed.
I do conclude that the Yanks are a better team then the Phillies but because being a Yankee is being a Yankee it is easier to forget we can get beaten. Overall Philly is struggling with starting rotation, Brad Lidge is a mess (feel badly for him) and Hamel’s looked good on Sunday but he has not even been close to his norm. Hamel’s was hurt I know and maybe thats been beating him down but regadless the why of it the team knows that their pitching is shaken at the moment. I mean do you think that their workd series rings would have been there without Hamel’s and Lidge??? So the Phillies utilize their strengths to pick up that slack. The Yanks are starting to get this concept which is crucial and results in wins. A concept I feel the NL is defining, maybe not by choice but who cares cause it is working. For the AL, Tampa Bay was that last year as well….and look at the two teams who made it to the finish line; god maybe its just easy for me to be critical as a fan or maybe I am a genius but I bet this is not a rule that players can be ordered to follow. It happens but…..,
I worry…….what if Arod goes down again or Jeter’s leg (god forbid)…..is Tex going back to unreliable or will the team will fall apart? Also, Mo is still one of the best, we all seem to forget that he is still human and sometimes he needs the team to pick him up as well. But Mo is always so classy….. unlike another closer who acted like the biggest f’in baby I have ever seen in a professional athlete when the Mets, Omir Santos smack a 2 run homer right in the face of the big, bad green monster. Papelbon, who I already hate for his gay kilt dancing and his blow fish face he makes when he pitches always give such a show when he makes a mistake that I can still hate him without even crediting his talent for it!! So keep it up Papel-tard cause your attitude is awesome for everything you don’t want to be as a closer or a Yankee for that matter. God he pisses me off; please excuse my tangent of rage and watch the video here to understand me or not….
Apologies for getting completely off track but he is such a god damn pain in the everywhere….now getting back to post.
Overall 8 of 10 wins is a great run of home games and the Twins are much better then they played so that was a nice sweep. As big poppy is slumping in an unthinkable fashion the Red Sox pick him up. Toronto has one lights out, probably the best in all of baseball in Roy Halladay and use it as inspiration and to thrive off his energy.
The Yankees have every position across the board (except middle relief is struggling but who’s isn’t) covered with great utility guys to fill spots. Both our catchers are both on the DL but Francisco Cervelli is earning the respect of his teammates and the fans quite quickly. Cervelli reminds me of the best of both Posada and Molina….he is confident and he can hit around .300 at that ! The main concern as most would understand is that he is catching for some of the best pitchers in baseball….CC, AJ, Andy, Mo, Wang (soon) and Hughes. I get nervous at the thought of it but he looks like an old pro. The 23 year old is exceeding all expectations! I thought we were in some trouble cause Posada’s bat is huge and Molina is a great defender overall but Cervelli has the talent to be the future and I am totally more than okay with that. And with Girardi and Pena as past catchers themselves he should only get better.
The point I am so inadequately attempting to make is that today’s win 11-1 against Texas, who has a serious lineup of hitters who were up against Phil Hughes is the perfect example. Hughes looks tougher in every sense from last season but he is still young and doesn’t have the experience behind the rest of our starters (even Joba is more confident as last season he stayed up) so our lineup and defense had to step it. To win the game, yes but also to give Hughes a little breathing room and let him show his best stuff without the game on his shoulders cause we couldn’t get the runners on base in for a run. And that’s what the team just did!!
Not playing as a team over the last few seasons is exactly what has prevented the Yankees from winning. Just being at the game I can see the players being a team; I think Jeter has finally accepted Arod which I feel is all Alex really needed to finally be a part of something. The short stop was finally laughing and actually having whispers behind the glove which seemed to be inside jokes between the two. Maybe its cause now that Arod has done something that Jeter will never has on his record there is that wall of superiority, for whatever reason, has come down. Or maybe Arod is relieved to have nothing on his chest or maybe Jeter is finally feeling like he is the shortstop, not the captain and face of the Yankees who is keeping his position cause of rank or right. I can tell you something is different this year and that is not because I want it to be for my own sake, it is what it is.
So since it just is….as long as the team is working and winning reason can be as simple as ‘it just is’. If ‘it’ keeps up…. I think the Yanks will be there in the end but it will be a fight and as a fan my job is to cheer to keep the players wanting it!! Here is my pledge as a fan…….
I will do it as a fan from the bottom of my heart and never give up!!! Keep playing as the team you have become and when one teammate struggles…..have his back!!!! And when the team struggles I will have yours!!
CC Sabathia took the mound like a man on a mission, as he shut down the Tampa Bay Rays and almost threw a no hitter.
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