One whole walk in the Subway Series ...

... and fewer RBIs than Mariano Rivera.

But walks are important, too. So, it wasn't a complete waste.

The trick is to hit the ball really far.

"Death Valley in right-center

Citi Field replaced Shea Stadium, which opened in 1964 and has been demolished. Shea was considered a pitcher-friendly park, and while Citi Field has some shorter dimensions, it has been an even more challenging place for hitters because of its varying wall heights and spaciousness in right-center field."

I like when ARod went opposite field into so-called Death Valley.

I guess something D. Wright thought wasn't even possible.

Sure, it's a small sample size. But the Yankees hit three opposite-field blasts in two games.

Even Sluggin' Brett Gardner hit one out at Citifield. But Gardner had to pull the ball.

I disagree with the conclusion, but ARod has the burden of proof.

Even ARod's recent exhaustion would have been cured with performance-enhancing substances.


As a bonus, Pearlman is probably the only writer I've ever seen bring up this obvious fact:

"Manager Joe Torre, whose continued naiveté/indifference over steroids staggers the mind, has repeatedly expressed his excitement over Ramirez's reappearance in the Dodgers outfield, where he clearly expects nothing less than an All-Star-quality slugger."

Yeah, Torre wrote a book about the inner workings of Johnny Damon's psyche, but he has no idea when any of his players are taking steroids or drinking too much.

Actually, Torre probably knows, but just doesn't care.

That's the issue ...

"Jorge Posada swung and missed at a pitch in the dirt in the eighth inning last night, striking out for the fourth time. The ball rolled a few feet to the right of Atlanta raves catcher Brian McCann.

Posada took a step toward first base then turned around and walked slowly back to the dugout instead of running. It was the latest example of the apparent lack of interest the Yankees have at playing good baseball."

To some extent, I think Girardi was given a bad hand. Expectations are sky high and nobody on his team is really having a good year.

Teixeira, yes, but 13 of his 20 HRs are at Yankee Stadium. He could be a bust if he was playing at Citifield.

Bruney is exceeding expectations. Maybe Hughes. Probably Gardner and Cabrera, but that's mostly due to low expectations.

Is anybody else playing to their talent level?

I don't necessarily think that's Girardi's fault. I think it's wise to bat ARod fourth, keep trying with Wang, keep putting Sabathia out there for the eighth inning.

But this lack of effort -- lack of fundamentals -- is noticeable, and it might cost the Yankees a playoff spot and it might cost Girardi his job.

Somebody talk about Jeter's rally-killing GIDP.

Anybody?

Anybody?

Did you see when Jeter lined out in the ninth when he could have grounded into a double play?

It felt like a missed opportunity.

I thought he was going for the record, man:

"The Yankees left the bases loaded in the second, stranded two more runners in the third and then left them juiced again in the fourth, a staggering display of ineptitude in the clutch by a team filled with supposedly capable hitters"

Minor point of correction here.

When the Yankees left the bases loaded in the second, the "batter" was Chien-Ming Wang.

You can say lots of things about about Chien-Ming Wang, but you can't say he's a "supposedly capable hitter."

I found something on the Internet that may preoccupy me for some time.

Suzyn Waldman has a blog, and I see her use of punctuation is as irritating as her voice:

"But the strangest thing was Joe Girardi filing a protest after Marlins Manager Fredi Gonzalez messed up a double switch (who says NL Managers are smarter) and Chris Coghlan ran out to left field instead of Alejandro De Aza. Girardi waited until a pitch was thrown, then pointed out the mistake to the umpires. It was definitely a mistake, it was definitely corrected...De Aza and Coghlan were out of the game and Jeremy Hermida went to left field. But Girardi actually protested the game. If it's upheld...the Yankees have to get on a plane, go back to Florida and start the game from that point....they were losing 6-3. Why, exactly?"

First, nobody says NL managers are smarter. Maybe NL broadcasters are smarter, but not NL managers.

Also, the protest won't be upheld -- everybody knows that -- but it's certainly the proper response from the Yankee manager.

If I was the Yankees, I'd gladly get on a plane and go back to Florida and try to turn a loss into a win. Could be the loss that keeps the playoff shares out of everybody's grubby little hands. Could be the win that saves Girardi's job.


"I think scoring 18 runs in their last 8 losses is something they should concentrate on...not protesting games that were lost...but what do I know???"

You know very little.

For someone who watches every Yankee game, your insight into Yankee baseball is astonishingly ignorant.

As an example of your ignorance, I'm pretty sure the Yankees can concentrate on scoring more runs even if Girardi filed a protest of the game.


"I've often wondered if taking off to parts unknown for an off day and then flying to the next city the day of the game is better or worse for a team. But again, what do I know! [sic]"

You've wondered what?

You've wondered if taking off to parts unknown for an off day and then flying to the next city the day of a game is better or worse for a team?

Better or worse than what?

What is better or worse than what?

I have no idea what you're saying.

At least I have confirmation that your writing abilities match your speaking abilities.

I'm going to predict that the Red Sox win at least two out of three vs. Washington.

Though the players are mostly responsible for their own competence and motivation, Girardi is going to regret those losses when his team mailed it in.

The Yankees and Girardi have three months to redeem themselves.

The Yankees might win the 2009 World Series. It wouldn't shock me if their superstars started playing like superstars.

But if the manager doesn't take blame for lack of effort and lack of fundamentals, then what is the manager there for?

A ten-year-old can decide when Matsui should pinch it.

I think ARod's power, speed, and batting average will improve.

I think ARod' recent struggles are simply a short-term slump fueled by an injury. Though I also think it's fair to wonder if he will ever recover and if his previous success was due to steroids. Until he proves otherwise, he has lost the benefit of the doubt.

But when Peter Abraham jumps the gun and claims that ARod's contract may be the worst contract ever, he kind of misses the point. Because Abraham is looking at baseball statistics.


Willy Tavares is batting .227, 15 points higher than ARod, and nobody would be outraged if Willy Tavares was benched. Nobody is rushing to the TV to see Willy Tavares bat. Nobody is buying tickets at Spongetech Park just so they can boo Willy Tavares.


Nobody cares where Brian Bruney ate dinner last night. For the Yankees, this is free advertising, along with free "baseball talk":

"The rest hasn't seemed to do much good: In his pinch-hit cameo last night, he merely drew a walk"

"Merely drew a walk."

Nice baseball analysis, Angela Monefinise. You sound as ignorant as Mike Francesa.


Point being, Angela Monefinise helps explain why ARod is worth so much money.

Love him or hate him, you want to watch him play and you want to know who he's dating and you want to know what he ate for dinner. When he appears in Monument Park and you shake his hand, you act like you just shook hands with a God. Even when he's benched -- even when he's on the DL -- Peter Abraham and everybody else spend most of their time talking about him.

And you wonder why he gets paid so much?

The maestro.

If a player goes 0-for-4 with two GIDP, is that the same as 0-for-6?

Yesterday was probably the happiest day of my baseball-viewing life.

Somebody noticed.

The answers are incorrect across the board, but at least somebody asked the question.

Not a day goes by where Suzyn Waldman doesn't mistakenly refer to Joe Girardi as Joe Torre.

I'm starting to think she may be correct.

• When Melky Cabrera first played in the majors, he completely embarrassed himself in the outfield. That was in 2005. It's now 2009 and he has played 290 games in CF for the Yankees. Youth and inexperience are no longer excuses for turning RBI singles into two-RBI triples. Somebody hit this guy some fungoes.
• Even with the game on the line in the ninth inning, Cano did not run hard down the first base line. I mean, this is the Soriano Country Club Part II.
• Why wasn't Alex Rodriguez running in the ninth inning? I won't go into the strategic benefits of sending the runner in this situation, because that would insult your intelligence. It's possible that ARod ignored the manager's request because he couldn't get a good jump, or whatever. Which is still the manager's fault.
  
• Last week, when Melky sac bunted to the dismay of Yankee fans everywhere, we later learned that he had bunted on his own. Which is still the manager's fault. Sun Tzu would have had somebody killed.

So far, I've scanned four of the top NYC-area newspapers. I haven't found one article which rips Cano's choke job or questions Girardi's competence.

Every single Yankee fan is screaming at the TV, "Why isn't ARod running?"

None of our beat reporters have the guts or the smarts to ask the question. Go ask ARod about his charity event with Richard Gere. You're all useless.

I basically want to know if it's Girardi's fault for issuing flawed orders or if it's ARod's fault for ignoring his orders. I basically want to know which concubine should be beheaded.

Get a room.

No end in sight. No end in sight. No end in sight.

"It seems like a million years ago since the Yankees left spring training, convinced they had the talent, the chemistry and the winning pedigree to finally crash the walls of the Red Sox’ empire."

"A million years ago."

Sound like a five-year-old's first attempt at writing.


"The AL East has belonged to Boston since 2004, but the Bombers were willing to bet every last cent of their $200 million payroll that a coup was coming."

The AL East has belonged to Boston since 2004? Didn't the Tampa Rays win the AL East in 2007? Oh, yeah. They did.

Didn't the Yankees win the the AL East in 2005 and 2006? Oh, yeah. They did.

No matter.

I think it's Klapisch's clumsy way of saying the Red Sox have been more cumulatively successful than the Yankees in the years 2004 - 2009.


Coming out of Spring Training, I really didn't think the Yankees were a lock to win the AL East in 2009. I don't think most people did.

I changed my mind, though, when I got my first scorecard at Yankee Stadium. I learned a lot in an article by some guy named Bob Klapisch. I learned that the Awesome Yankees had the Best Infield in the History of Major League Baseball.


"Two-a-half months later, the Yankees are dazed and confused, wondering what happened to that limitless reservoir of self-confidence."

One game back of the division lead and in the lead for the wild card.


"They’re 0-7 against the Red Sox with no end in sight."

Sabathia beats Penny tonight and the Yankees are tied for first place.

The end is probably in sight.

You might have to wait one whole day.

I am going to criticize Alex Rodriguez.

Not just to be contrarian,  but just observing his play.

ARod has one HR in his last 16 games.  About 60 at-bats.  That HR hit off the top of the wall in right-center field at Yankee Stadium.

Can you imagine the scrutiny and criticism ARod would have received if he'd hit only one HR in his first 60 at-bats after coming off the DL?  After the steroid confessions?

Now, I'm open to the idea that ARod's career is built on steroids.  I don't think it is, but he has to prove it on the field and the skeptics have plenty of ammo.  

Eight HRs in 108 at-bats is certainly not a cause for concern.  Nor is a 60 at-bat slump, per se.  Not particularly unusual.

But how many of these HRs have been 400-foot blasts?

ARod's HRs are optical illusions.  He takes a quick swing, the OFer thinks he's going to catch it, and the ball sails fifty feet over the wall.

I haven't seen it so far this year.

Could be the hip, could be small sample size.  I wouldn't be shocked at all if ARod hits 40 HRs in an abbreviated season.

But it's quite interesting that he has diverted scrutiny simply because of a few well-timed HRs.

When Papelbon heats up ...

When Jonathan Papelbon is the pitcher, Mike Lupica wants to be the catcher.

As an aside, this is the sidebar for this article: "Jonathan Papelbon might have enduced the last three outs, but Dustin Pedroia got a little bit of a save on this night."

"Enduce" is not a word.

Overpaid.

Corner outfielder with two homeruns.

Yankees vs. Dodgers in 2009 World Series.

Yankees sweep and, rather than showering themselves with champagne during the locker room celebration, they shower themselves with Bigelow's green tea.

Everybody needs a dream and the above scenario is my dream:

"Q: Joe Torre questioned your commitment in his book.

A: He never let me get healthy until we called up Shelley Duncan (in 2007). So here I am knowing I can't help the team, knowing that I can't run, I can't move . . . I can't get to a fly ball that I normally have in my back pocket. Best thing that should have been done when I was hurt then was throw me on the DL and let me get healthy, but I wasn't able to.

Q: Were you disappointed or surprised to see that in his book?

A: I was disappointed, because where it first came up, I had a private conversation with Torre and (GM Brian) Cashman at the beginning of spring training, telling them that I wasn't ready. It was a tough winter for me, and it was a private thing. And then the private thing ends up being put in his book. Well, as a player, I feel like he's a tough guy to trust."

Wang now pitches game two vs. Boston.

Be careful what you wish for.

Because of the rainout, A.J. Burnett now will start game one at Fenway next week. Which makes me very confident since he couldn't hold an eight-run lead the last time he pitched at Fenway.

I mean, if Wang stinks so much that he can't pitch important games, then he shouldn't be in the rotation.

Game one vs. Boston is important, but you know what else is important? Game two vs. Boston

You know what else is important? The games the Yankees are about to play against the Rays.

You remember the Rays? The 2008 AL Champions?