Tagged: Abreu

I Really Love Blowouts (When the Yankees Win)

I realize we were essentially playing the Pawtucket Red Sox tonight, given the rain delays. No Ortiz. No Drew. No Pedroia. No Manny. (Oops. He’s driving in all those runs for the Dodgers now. Too bad.) Not even Lowell and Youkilis after they left the party early. And, of course, we were facing mostly a succession of rookie pitchers (plus Timlin).

BUT STILL. We won 19-8 because our scrubs were better than their scrubs. Ransom, Gardner, Moeller, even Betemit played great.
And let’s hear it for Abreu, who got his 100th RBI, and Cano, who seems to have found religion (or at least his swing).
What does it all mean? Nothing. But it was fun knocking the Sox out of contention for the division title. The Rays owe us one. Actually, I can’t imagine a scenario when it isn’t fun to beat the Red Sox, which is exactly how their fans feel about the Yankees.
Speaking of fans, maybe somebody can answer this one for me. Who is that blond guy who sits behind home plate at Fenway FOR EVERY SINGLE GAME? Like, for years. He’s sort of an everyman-looking version of Robert Redford. He never has any friends with him, as far as I can tell. He just sits there with his arms folded across his chest, very serious. Does anyone know if he’s part of the organization or is he just a guy with big bucks?
That’s it from me. I’m off to watch a tape of the debate. I wonder if it’ll be a blowout too.

A Meaningless Game That Meant Something

Yeah, it did. Phil Hughes proved he can throw eight strong innings without fracturing a rib. Abreu showed he can slug a grand slam after going 0-for-4 against A.J. Burnett. And Xavier the Savior demonstrated his versatility at the plate by driving in two runs with a regular old single – i.e. he didn’t swing for the fences. And the Yankees beat the Jays in 10 innings! That makes seven straight wins for a team that’s already been eliminated! Yay!

O.K. So I’m going a little bit overboard. Hardly anybody was at the Rogers Centre tonight (you could hear what every drunk was yelling), and the real action was in cities with teams that are still fighting for a playoff spot. So what? I enjoyed myself! Girardi used Gardner, Miranda, Ransom, and Moeller and it was sort of like watching a spring training game where there’s no pressure. Instead of sitting silently in my chair like a nervous wreck, I made conversation with my husband for a change.
“I like you better when you’re not so uptight,” he said.
See? The game tonight meant something.

Why Mike Mussina Made Me Cry Tonight

I know, I know. There’s no crying in baseball. But when Mussina walked off the mound tonight after giving the Yankees six-plus superior innings – when the crowd cheered “Moooose!” and the usually circumspect Mike not only tipped his cap but actually grinned – I teared up. I did. Because in beating the White Sox and winning his 18th game of the season, Mussina showed me what the concept of not throwing in the towel really means. This is a pitcher who was awful last year. Done. Cooked. Stick a fork in him and banish him to the bullpen. Do you remember how bad he was? Against the Angels? Against the Tigers? How he couldn’t get anybody out? If not….

That was from August of last year. Did you hear him say, “I don’t feel like I can do much of anything right?” He was lost and we all figured he’d retire or just go away. Instead, he came back this season and made adjustments, and now look at him. He’s our ace. He’s been our most consistent pitcher by far. He has a shot at winning 20 games for the first time in his career.
So with all due respect to Abreu’s 6 RBIs, Cano’s resurrection and the major league debuts of Baby Bombers Miranda, Sanchez and Cervelli, this was Mussina’s night. After facing extinction, he came back and made us proud.

When Real Life and Baseball Overlap

Normally I’d be thrilled at the prospect of playing three against the Mariners, but we’re stuck with Ponson on the mound for Saturday’s game and Abreu’s got a bad wrist. Plus, tonight’s finale against the Rays was downright depressing. The Yanks couldn’t manage any offense against Kazmir, despite all the walks, and Rasner was an abomination. Loved the late rally in the ninth – is Cody Ransom for real? – but it was a couple of runs short. Bummer.

To put things in perspective though, the mother of one of my best friends died this morning. I was overcome with sadness for my pal and touched by her profound sense of loss. Sometimes, I really need to be reminded that baseball is just a game and that life is fragile.