Tagged: Alfredo Aceves

December 1, 2010

Day 5 of “Operation Jeter Countdown”

I figured everybody could use a laugh right about now. Sure, there was a meeting between Jeter and the Yankees yesterday, but there’s been nothing since and we’re still playing the waiting game. So tonight’s Jeter-related video is designed to elicit a derisive smile or two. It features two Boston Globe guys speculating about whether the Red Sox should jump into the melee and sign our captain. The young guy on the right doesn’t say much. The old guy on the left is long-time Globe columnist Bob Ryan. After you watch the video, tell me he’s not Andy Rooney on speed.

“What would happen if we got stuck with him?” Ryan asks. You should be so lucky, pal.

Moving on, I was not happy to read this afternoon that Alfredo Aceves, who spent all that time not being a productive member of the Yankees so he could rehab his back by not having surgery, had surgery….for breaking his collar bone in a bicycle accident. Sheesh. I realize we can’t keep players from leading normal lives, and riding a bike is not the same as playing basketball (I’m talking to you, Aaron Boone). But I sure wish we could encase them in bubble wrap or something.

August 31, 2010

Things Are Looking Up

Well, they were never really looking down. I mean the Yankees have been in first place for awhile now, but after tonight’s win they’re all alone at the top. Plus, most of the players’ ailing body parts are better.

Berkman’s ankle: Healed.

A-Rod’s calf: Probably fine.

Pettitte’s groin: Getting there.

Aceves’s back: Sounds okay.

Johnson’s wrist: Never mind.

Anyhow, Tex, Swisher, Posada stayed hot at the plate, and Granderson joined the party. Jeter? Am I the only one who thinks he’s not having a good time this season? He’s making the plays at short as gracefully as ever, but he’s missing that spark and I’m wondering if there’s something going on in his personal life. Or maybe he just needs a prescription for this.

As for Huuuughes, he got the “W,” thanks to his teammates’ offensive barrage, but it pains me to see him walk batters and pile up a lot of pitches. Doesn’t he remember that nibbling gets people in trouble?

July 18, 2010

Gotta Give Some Love To The Yankees Bullpen

I didn’t think the Yankees would end up winning this game. Not after Pettitte got pounded in the first inning and especially not after he came up lame and left the game after the second. If that makes me a bad fan, so be it. But considering that A.J.’s tantrum yesterday required the use of Robertson and Gaudin, I kept wondering how our much-maligned (including by me) bullpen would contain the Rays today. So how did they do it? They were really good!

Here’s a big, heartfelt shout-out to Robertson (huge game saver for him), Logan, Park, Joba and Mo. They let the hitters do their thing and kept a lid on the Rays’ scoring. And speaking of hitters, how about the bats today? David Price didn’t look sharp, but our guys took advantage. Just about everybody contributed. Loved the steals. Loved the sacs. Loved the RBIs. Loved that A-Rod is now at HR #598 and could very well get to #600 during this home stand. I was there in 2007 when he hit #500 against KC, and KC will be in the Bronx later in the week. Could we be seeing this?

Getting back to Andy, a grade 1 groin strain? Really? What are we supposed to do if he goes on the DL, which seems likely? Aceves isn’t around. Mitre and Gaudin don’t thrill me as starters. Hughes has an innings limit. All I can say is I wish Cashman hadn’t let this guy go.

Update: So Pettitte’s going on the DL and Mitre’s taking his place? For 4-5 weeks? Please wake me when somebody from the Yankees says, “Only kidding.”

June 20, 2010

All Alone At The Top

I know. It’s only one day…in June. But first place is first place, and given all the injuries on this team it’s pretty satisfying for the Yankees to be where they are right now. What a game today, right? It had a little of everything – superb pitching by CC, a granny by Tex for his second homer in two days, a bunt by Swisher, an amazing catch by Gardner, a near-ejection by Posada (loved how Girardi had to clap his hand over JoPo’s mouth), another save by Mo, etc etc. What does it all mean as the Yanks head west?

It means that with the Rays, Red Sox and Jays all playing well, we’re in for a real dogfight.

(I decided to show kissing instead of fighting, but you get the idea.)

If A-Rod’s hip is OK and Tex gets hot and stays hot and Aceves comes back to help us out of the pen, I think we’ll be just fine. In the meantime, we’ve got Gardner. Seriously, I knew he was fast (duh) and could slap the ball around Damon style, but I never figured him to be this good. He’s hitting .312, for God’s sake. It seems as if he’s always on base and scoring a run. What a bargain he’s turned out to be.

Right now I’m in countdown mode. It’s only six days until I’ll be at Dodger Stadium watching the Yankees in person. Michael and I will be sitting with Twitter buddy @SunnySoCal, and lots of other friendly faces will be there too, including this blog’s Yankee she-fans, Peggy and Ladyjane, and our Dodger counterparts, Cat and Emma. And, of course, it’ll be a reunion for the players with Torre and Mattingly. I’ve gotten used to seeing Joe in Dodger blue, but not Donnie. Never Donnie.

June 10, 2010

The Yankees Lost; I’m More Concerned About A-Rod

When your cleanup hitter comes out of the game for Ramiro Pena, something’s wrong. It wasn’t until the Orioles were on their way to shutting down the Yanks when word finally came that A-Rod’s groin was acting up again.

Or should I say his adductor magnus. Sounds way more dignified. Anyhow, I’m concerned. I don’t want this injury to become, you know, nagging.

And I certainly don’t want it to be related to his hip surgery from last year. We already have Brett Gardner’s thumb to deal with, not to mention that Aceves’s back doesn’t seem to be getting better and Jorge still hasn’t been cleared to catch. (Why even bring up Nick Johnson and his wrist? No point.) It all makes me appreciate how lucky the Yankees were last year, injury wise. Sure, Wang’s loss was a blow, but once A-Rod came back in May the everyday lineup stayed remarkably healthy. Or am I “misremembering,” as someone famously said?

If Tex and Posada were hitting with any consistency, I wouldn’t panic about losing A-Rod for a few days (if, in fact, that’s all the time he’ll need to heal). Cano can’t do all the heavy lifting himself. Neither can Granderson. Speaking of whom, Melissa is an avid reader of Grandy’s blog and pointed out to me that he invites readers to ask him a question by emailing him here: curtis@curtisgranderson.com

So what should we ask him? If I were going to write to him about tonight’s loss to the O’s, here’s what I’d ask:

* Is it frustrating to watch A.J. hit batters and throw wild pitches?

* Was the O’s starter, Arrieta, really good or the Yanks’ offense kind of bad?

* Do you mind that Swisher seems to have taken the #2 spot instead of you?

* Did you get nervous when Kevin Russo was our only available pinch hitter?

* Were you mad at the third base ump for calling all those checked swings?

* Do you hate to lose as much as the fans do?

* Did you give A-Rod any medical tips for avoiding the DL?

Anybody else have a question for Grandy? He seems so nice I bet he’ll answer us.

May 1, 2010

So Who Is God, Anyway?

As I’ve made clear on this blog many times, I’ve always thought this Yankee was God.

In fact, whenever he saves a game, as he did in tonight’s 6-4 win over the White Sox, I usually picture him this way.

But now along comes Ozzie Guillen, who spoke after the game in glowing terms of the Yankees captain, according to this MLB article. He said of Jeter:

“He is God.”

And Ozzie isn’t wrong. Jeet did have four RBIs, including a homer and a triple, and broke his tie with Junior Griffey for the most hits among active players. Not too shabby. But is he God and not Mo? Here’s more of what Ozzie said about Derek:

“The guy always has good-looking women around him too. I mean, God bless him.”

Now wait a second. How can Jeter be God if God is blessing him? I’m very confused. But here’s what I’m perfectly clear about — tonight’s win was a beautiful thing. Andy didn’t have it, but he didn’t fall apart either, and Aceves, Marte, Joba and Mo did the rest. Winning teams are all about somebody stepping up when needed. Tonight, we had several somebodys…and at least two Gods.

April 28, 2010

How Do You Spell Relief?

Not this way…

Or this way…

Or even this way…

Not tonight in Baltimore anyway. What a putrid game for the Yankees, wasn’t it? Especially after Hughes gave yet another gutsy performance? I was working while the game was on, so I had the TV on in the background. Every time the Yanks would do something stupid (walk a batter, hit a batter, make a throwing error, kill a rally), I would turn around to look and then do this.

Well, I felt like it. Maybe the players were tired from all their parading around Washington. Or maybe they ate some bad crab cakes in Baltimore. On the other hand, maybe the O’s were just due for a win, poor darlings. All I know is that it was as if the real Yankees had been taken over by little league Yankees.

I also know that we need Chan Ho Park to come off the DL…And for Nick Johnson to stop walking and start hitting…And for A-Rod, Tex and Grandy to be the mashers we know they are…And for Cano to ride this beautiful streak of his until the end of the season when he will surely win the AL Batting Crown.

Things will be better with CC on the mound tomorrow. How do I know that? Because there’s not much for the players to do in Baltimore, so they’ll get a good night’s sleep.

Before I sign off, I’d like to give a shout out to she-fans extraordinaire and friends of this blog, Serena and Lisa, whose own Traveling Baseball Babes is one of my favorite blogs. They’re organizing a terrific fundraising event in Hicksville, LI in June called “Fred K’s Cancer.” Both of their fathers are named Fred and both men are cancer survivors (and big baseball fans), so Serena and Lisa decided to educate people about their diseases in a very special way. They created a Fred K’s Cancer blog, so please check it out and read about their fab event!

April 24, 2010

Well, THAT Was An Eventful Game

Too late for a pictorial. Suffice it to say that the Yankees’ 6-4 loss to the Angels was never dull.

* A.J. was wild early, and I kept thinking he’d get pulled and we’d see Mitre (if he still exists). But somehow he only gave up one run in the first inning when the Angels threatened.

* The Yanks came back in the third – with a vengeance.

Gardner doubled.

Jeter doubled, scoring Gardner.

Tex got plunked (and looked really ********** about it).

A-Rod singled.

Cano singled, sending Tex home.

Tex doesn’t run gracefully. He charges, like he’s being chased. When he reached the plate, he lifted his shoulder and rammed into Wilson, the Angels rookie catcher, hard. Wilson went flying, clearly injured, and Tex, still looking **********, made sure he tagged home and then marched to the dugout. Wilson went to the hospital with a concussion and an ankle something or other. By the time the inning was over, it was 3-1 Yanks.

* The Angels roared back against A.J. with three runs of their own, jumping ahead 4-3.

* Swisher tied things up at 4-4 with a solo shot.

* A.J. settled down and ended up going seven innings. I have to say it was a gutsy performance, in the manner of CC and Andy, who grind games out even when they don’t have their best stuff.

* I went into the eighth hoping Joba could hold the Angels until we scored again. Wrong. He had nothing. I mean nothing. A single to Matsui and a homer by Morales made it 6-4 Angels. Dave Robertson put out the fire, but that was the ball game. Ugh.

Should Joba have been in there for a tie game on the road? What do I know, except that Chan Ho is on the DL; Aceves, Logan and Marte had been warming but sat down; and Mitre, as I said, seems to be MIA.

I hate the thought that Angel Stadium might turn itself back into a house of horrors for the Yankees, but this game didn’t end well. I’m hoping that Pettitte can restore order on Saturday.

‘Night.

April 17, 2010

The Yankees Are Doing It All

When I lived in Florida, there was a guy who came around after hurricanes and hauled off downed tree branches, repaired leaky roofs, fixed whatever needed fixing. The name on his business card? Johnny Do It All. Today, the Yankees filled that job description with their second consecutive win against the Rangers. How?

* Fantastic starting pitching by A.J.

* Killer speed and timely hitting by Gardner.

* Home run power from Jeter and A-Rod (congrats to Alex on #584).

* Offense by Posada (congrats to JoPo on career hit #1500).

* Terrific plate discipline by Swisher and Johnson.

* Excellent relief work by Marte and Joba.

The win was a total team effort and a pleasure to watch, because it really did have a little of everything. Sure, I wish Tex would get hot already, as I wrote yesterday. And it wasn’t a pretty outing for Aceves. But Texas came into town sizzling and now they’ve already lost the series. I don’t really know what a buzz saw is, but I bet the Rangers are feeling like they’ve run into one.

Will the Yankees sweep on Sunday? Better get the broom out just in case.

April 14, 2010

Helpless Against Pineiro

Well, not every Yankee was handcuffed by the Angels’ starter today, but here are a few glaring examples of hitters who were.

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	4	1	2	0	0	0	0	.324
Johnson, N, DH	4	0	1	1	0	2	1	.207
Teixeira, 1B	4	0	0	1	0	1	2	.097
Rodriguez, A, 3B	3	0	0	0	1	3	1	.257
Cano, 2B	4	1	2	0	0	0	2	.382
Posada, C	4	0	1	0	0	1	4	.400
Granderson, CF	4	0	0	0	0	0	3	.313
Swisher, RF	4	0	1	1	0	1	1	.308
Gardner, LF	3	1	0	0	1	0	1	.217
Totals	34	3	7	3	2	8	15	.278

See those zeroes under H for Tex, A-Rod and Granderson? Ouch. The fact is, Joel Pineiro (I’d never really paid much attention to him before) was masterful in getting ground ball outs, and he made me long for the days when our own Chien-Ming Wang used to pitch the same way. Sigh.

Vazquez? He wasn’t terrible and certainly didn’t deserve the boos he heard at the Stadium. So he gave up a few runs. Booing won’t instill confidence in him. Why not support your pitcher at least until he proves he can’t do the job. That’s not to say I haven’t cursed him in the privacy of my own home. I’m no saint.

Aceves looked a little rusty, but Joba and Marte took care of business. Actually, I thought the Yankees might mount a comeback after Shields came in for the Angels and we scored a couple of runs. But there was no comeback, no walkoff, no pie.

Getting back to yesterday’s home opener, I had to laugh when several people emailed to ask if I was at the game in the Bronx, sitting with her.

The confusion was triggered by this article in the Daily News, mentioning “my” name….

Martha Stewart tweets throughout Yankees home opener: ‘Derek looks really good’

BY MICHAEL J. FEENEY AND BILL HUTCHINSON
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Wednesday, April 14th 2010, 4:00 AM

Perlman/The Star-Ledger; Corkery/News

Looks like Martha Stewart is a sports buff – who knew? The homemaking honcho tweeted all throughout New York Yankees home opener against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday.

RELATED NEWS

The domestic diva’s got game – and an eye for the Yankees‘ captain.

No stranger to pinstripes, Martha Stewart tweeted her way through Tuesday’s Bombers home opener, even offering play-by-play to rival Michael Kay.

“Curtis Granderson, new this year, has a great opportunity right now – two on base with two outs,” Stewart wrote to her nearly 2 million followers onTwitter.

The homemaking honcho also showed off her photography skills, capturing Yankee pretty boys Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter.

“Derek looks really good,” she noted.

After Jeter slugged his first homer of the year in the third inning, Stewart wrote, “Derek just hit a homer; 2-0, hooray!”

The multimedia maven sat with her good friend banker Jane Heller in front-row luxury seats left of the home team dugout and close enough to the Bombers’ on-deck circle to converse with the players.

“A-Rod berated Jane for not bringing me more often to games,” she tweeted. “Obviously, he realizes I am good luck!”

She even gave a hand to Granderson during one of his pre-at-bat warmups.

“Curtis Granderson just asked me to fix the velcro on his batting gloves and then he hit a very, very long fly ball to the end of centerfield.”

Her eye was not just on the field, but also on celebrities sitting around her, including Mayor Bloomberg, Lorne Michaels, Alec Baldwin, Keith Olbermann“and a bunch of moguls.”

***

You see, “the other Jane Heller,” as my husband and I refer to the friend of Martha, is the private banker to Steinbrenner and the Yankees. She’s the one with the front row seats at Yankee Stadium, not me. But we do know each other. She took me to the World Series in 2000 and, trust me, her seats are the best in the house. Here’s an item in the NY Times that’ll explain everything…

PUBLIC LIVES

By JAMES BARRON with Elisabeth Bumiller and Marcelle S. Fischler

Published: October 24, 2000

What’s in a Name? A Series Ticket

The woman in Row 1, Seat 9, at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night was named JANE HELLER. So was the woman in Row 1, Seat 8.

The Jane Heller in Seat 9 (and above, left) was the Jane Heller who wrote ”Name Dropping,” a novel about two women with the same name that was published this year by St. Martin’s Press. To minimize the confusion here, let the record show that the two women in the ”Name Dropping” book are both named Nancy Stern. Mercifully, for the sake of this item, not Jane Heller.

The Jane Heller in Seat 8 was a banker whose clients include the principal owner of the Yankees, GEORGE M. STEINBRENNER 3rd, and MARTHA STEWART. She is the one who invited Jane Heller (the author) to sit in the same section of Yankee Stadium as MAYOR RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI and his son, ANDREW; BUD SELIG, the commissioner of baseball; DENZEL WASHINGTON; SARAH JESSICA PARKER and her husband, MATTHEW BRODERICK; and THE REV. JESSE JACKSON.

The two Jane Hellers had had an e-mail exchange several months ago in which Ms. Heller (the banker) said that she had all the other Ms. Heller’s books — and also had the best seats at Yankee Stadium.

That was several months ago.

”When it got to be the post-season,” Ms. Heller (the author) said, ”I thought, this would be a good time to hit her up for a couple of tickets. She said, ‘Saturday is taken, but how about Sunday?’ ”

So they chatted with the likes of DEREK JETER and PAUL O’NEILL in the on-deck circle and traded stories about themselves, including the one about how Ms. Heller (the banker) came to be where she was.

”When my son was 2, he said to me, ‘Mommy, you should get the Yankees,’ ” she said. ”I started calling on the Yankees. One day, George had a problem at Chemical Bank. He said, ‘Get that girl who keeps coming up here.’ It’s been almost 26 years. I’ve been his private banker all that time and still am the private banker to the Yankees.”

Ms. Heller (the author) said that Ms. Heller (the banker) asked when her next book would be out. ”April,” the author said. ”I’m thinking about opening day.”

***

Life sure is funny. Martha Stewart was sitting in “my” seat yesterday.