Thinking Yankee Thoughts On A Saturday Afternoon (With Video)
The Yanks won another ball game today, beating the Tigers 4-3. I know it’s just spring training, but they’re on a roll, having notched their ninth straight victory. That’s right. Nine.
Go ahead and scoff. “She-Fan is all about winning,” you’re probably saying to yourself.
But come on. Here’s what winning looks like.
Here’s what losing looks like.
Which of these two people seems happier?The winner, obviously. I rest my case.
Moving on to the game itself, Joba pitched well, sure, but it was Mo who was flawless. Again. The man is 39 years old, is just coming off shoulder surgery, and is taking care of business. I’m beginning to wonder if he’s a real-life super hero.
The only part of the Mo Legend that puzzles me is his mentoring of the younger relief pitchers. It’s not working.
For example, he spends time counseling Edwar Ramirez.
And yet Edwar continues to throw that same old change-up, over and over, until – bam! somebody hits it right on the nose. How about developing another pitch, Edwar.
Another example: Jose Veras. Mo is trying to help him too.
They can laugh all they want, but the fact of the matter is: Veras gets behind hitters, can be wild, doesn’t trust his stuff. Just throw strikes, Jose. Please.
I listened to the game today on WCBS Radio and could hear some Tigers fans cheering in the background. It always surprises me when people root for any team other than the Yankees, given the opportunity. Why does it surprise me? Because the Yankees have the best name of any team.
O.K. Hold on. Just think about this impartially for a second. They’re not named after an animal or a Native American tribe or a type of apparel, but rather after a term for Americans. Plus, the word “Yankees” has two syllables and is easy to chant. I mean, how do people who cheer for three-syllable teams manage it? “Let’s go Card-in-als?” “Let’s go Diam-ond-backs?” “Let’s go Ath-let-ics?” Cumbersome, if you ask me.
But I’m well aware that the Yankees are not beloved by some. In fact, I was out and about in Santa Barbara yesterday, my trusty She-Fan Cam in my purse.
I wish everybody loved the Yankees as much as I do, but for now I’ll be content if they win another game tomorrow…and the day after that.
Confessions of a She-Fan 
Actually Jane – “yankee” is derived from the dutch word Janke meaning little Jan. So the Yankees are named after a dutch girl! And because it was also used by pirates, the word yankee was also used as a word of “contempt”. I’ll take my Red Sox. No one is offended by a pair of socks!
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
Winning is always better than losing, even if it is in meaningless ST games. Anyone who believes otherwise has clearly never won anything, or is a Pirates fan. So I guess we can agree on that…-Erinhttp://plunking-gomez.mlblogs.com
So Jane, will we hear you chanting “Let’s go Dutch girls!” anytime soon? It is two syllables, after all. 🙂
Nonetheless, as I always try to teach my kids, the world would be very boring if we all like the same things!
Sue
Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts
Mo is awesome. No, that seems to be an understatement for him. He can try an mentor the new kids, but maybe he should just lead by example. I would hate to be the kids following in his footsteps. Because those footsteps my seem like they are just our of reach.
Canuck
http://watercooler.mlblogs.com
Hi Jane, how could the woman live with a Yankees fan and not like the Yankees? I don’t get it. My favorite Dodger, aside from the hitting coach, is Andre Eithier. I’d like to see him have a breakthrough year. Julia worships a pair of socks? Good to know…
Scott
http://fotr.mlblogs.com
Wow, Julia. The Yankees are named after little Jan. Are you sure it’s not little Jane? LOL.
Ouch if there are any Pirates fans reading that, Erin! I can remember a time, not THAT long ago, when they were winners with Bonds and Bonilla and all that “We Are Family” stuff. Or am I the only one old enough for that flashback?
I guess I will have to chant “Lets go Dutch girls,” Sue. I hope I don’t get punched in the face at the Stadium.
I agree about Mo, Canuck. And I think he mentors the young pitchers by giving them life lessons in how to conduct themselves on the mound more than actually teaching them how to pitch. He’s such a class act no matter what he does.
I’m just glad I’m not married to a Yankee hater, Scott. I don’t think I could be, but maybe love is stronger than baseball. Is that possible?
We say, “Let’s go Card-nals”. The “i” is silent in chanting. : ) I love winning Spring Training games, too. It’s like the quote from Bull Durham, “I love winning … It’s like, you know, better than losing!” Cardinals have 14 red W’s this spring, and that makes me hopeful.
-Kathy
http://redbirdchatter.mlblogs.com
Man, someone needs to get that loser guy a Tylenol! Poor dude. Yes, it is hard to dispute winning; it makes everyone happy :O) Happy is my favorite emotion! Oh, and Phillies – 2 syllables. Must be why I like both the Phils and Yanks :O)
Jenn
http://philliesphollowers.mlblogs.com/
Yeah!! Another Dodger fan!
Jane: I got to tell you a funny story. I was telling a friend on the train about the whoopie pie recipe so she said bring the paper. She starts reading it then she read about a place on 5th avenue & I think Spring(?)that sells cupcakes. She says “Oooh, Emma I want to go here, Is close to Union station. I tell her “look at the front of the paper”. We all started laughing. She thought she was reading the LA Times.
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/
You should be hopeful, Kathy. That’s a lot of “W”s for the “Card-nals.”
Yes, Jenn. Winning is better than a stick in the eye for sure.
Andie is a big Dodgers fan, Emma. And she’s going down to LA to see the WBC tonight. Most people in Santa Barbara wear Dodgers camps, as many are transplants from LA. Funny story about the whoopie pie. 🙂
Congrats
http://thewrightway.mlblogs.com/
must be fun to be a fan of a team that can compete every year just because they unfairly have more money than everybody else.
EAT, SLEEP, MLB
http://eatsleepmlb.mlblogs.com
I think it’s hard to talk about “losing” if you’re a Yankees fan. Holla at Pittsburgh or Kansas City or Texas if you want to know about losing 😉
–Jeff
http://redstatebluestate.mlblogs.com/
Yes, Jonnnnnn (do I have the right number of “n”s?). It’s wonderful to have an unfair advantage over everyone else. Have a good day.
It’s not hard to talk about losing, Jeff. I have no trouble with it at all.
I was in my Public Relations class today and our professor was handing back quizzes. She handed one to a girl wearing a Cubs hat and said, jokingly of course, “Here’s a tip, don’t wear a Cubs hat to class. You’ll fail automatically.” I looked down at my Yankee sweatshirt and thought “oh great.. I wonder what she’s gonna say to me. Chances are if she hates the Cubs, she’s not a Yankee. She’s probably a White Sox”…
Needless to say.. when she called out my name, I stood up, proudly showing off my Yankee attire, and waited for her to say I’d fail. Instead she said “See, now THIS is what you need to wear to class if you want to get an automatic A.”
She even added, “If there’s ever a morning Yankee game, class will be cancelled.”
I didn’t really like her before today. 🙂
Ischoon, that’s an incredible story! I feel sorry for the Cubs fan! Still, I’m glad the professor not only went easy on you for being a Yankee fan but actually turned out to be one herself. Now we like her a lot!