Lady Loves Pinstripes

Yankee fans remember playoffs as if it was light years ago that we had been involved. At the very least, a team good enough, excuse me great enough to be post-season worthy.

Technically the Yanks only have missed October baseball one time, last season. But baseball fever is everywhere in NYC as if it is brand new again.

In all essence the spirit of a team worthy to be playing for the World Series has been dead for Yankees fans for years now. They played like mechanical robots. Yes, it seemed to work on paper but otherwise the Yanks had lost all it’s heart.

Blame it on Bernie getting burned or Torre leaving the team to go and break their heart the minute his plane landed in Los Angels.

The teams of the 90′s were left in the decade they dominated, till now.

The Yankees are having fun. And regardless of paychecks, you cannot buy friends in the real world nor in the Yankee Universe.

This team has the emotions of an entire city behind them. When the Yanks lose, the city does too.

So, as a paranoid parent state of mind, here are my worries. I am WARNING you… I am also a very proud parent so my level of anxiety is at an all time high.

1. HEY – Mariners Know That Belongs To Us?

Being on the receiving end of Friday night’s game in Seattle was not fun at all. The Mariners stole a play right out of the Yanks book. Or at least thats how it felt.

Bottom of the ninth, Yanks leading the Mariners 2-1, The Great One hurling his cut fastball and only one out to get, seemed to be game over. “The Yankees Winnnnn,” but not tonight.

Veteran Mike Sweeney hit a double against Rivera, to be followed by a first-pitch homer that Ichiro Suzuki sent into the right-field seats to win the game 3-2.

The party on the field sure did not feel as good when my Yanks were on the receiving end. Nothing wrong with all of us, the players and the fans got a little reminder to come back down to earth. Keeps us humble.

2. CC Took One In The Jugular

I jumped up and screamed, as our ace CC Sabathia took a line drive hit by Seattle’s Franklin Gutierrez right in the jugular.

CC grabbed his neck and all I saw were teammates and coaches sprinting to the mound. This was a borderline heart attack. The replay proved how hard a hit it was and it looked in the end worse than it was.
CC continued to pitch and throw for strikes.
CC is leading the majors in innings pitched with 218 and CY Young talk should be about to go crazy.

This big man is a warrior and he proved it tonight.

3. Two of Three Is Good Enough; Yanks Might Push Luck?

Here it is honestly, when the proof to make the rumor true that Ian Kennedy got pulled back up to the Majors, I did not have that loving feeling.

Commending a player who is just four months from coming off aneurysm surgery on his right arm but wait till next year to test him out. Kennedy was never as good as Hughes or Joba and it was evident.

Most pitchers, with the exception of El Duque who throw with their legs ina high pull in and extend are not seen a lot in the majors for a reason. And even if Kennedy had the talent of an El Duque, is the time for testing him in the majors now.

Kennedy never showed the mental game of Hughes. Hughes, also benefited from the Joba Rules more than Joba did. Kennedy’s last performances as a Yankees stunk. So in this arena, being almost October baseball the best time for him or the team to try?

It is the one criticism that stand out for Girardi that this is not rehab (Bruney). The excuses for poor performances of “getting him back to where he was” or “some improvement even though the team lost” is not going to fly now.

Look I think hard work is great and that Kennedy wants to play baseball. In reality the kid has absolutely no major league positive outings in his favor. Giardi might be pushing his luck here big time and everyone knows how critical the middle relievers in the bullpen are to a team’s success.

For Kennedy’s sake I hope that he is not the reminder of how important…..