Tagged: Phillies
Day 9 of “Operation Cliff Lee Countdown”
At least we know the identity of the Mystery Team that’s been in the Cliff Lee hunt. Or at least we think we do. “Sources” say he’s leaning toward that team, and by the time I wake up tomorrow morning maybe he’ll be wearing their uniform – again.
How would I feel if the Phillies end up with Lee after all this? Conflicted. On one hand, the Yankees really need a guy of Lee’s caliber in the rotation. On the other, seven years is absurd and I’d be relieved if we weren’t stuck with a contract of that length. On one hand, I love Lee as a pitcher and think he would thrive under the bright lights of New York. On the other, he and his wife are supposed to love Texas, particularly because it’s closest to their home in Arkansas.
Wait. Am I nuts or is Philadelphia not near Arkansas?
I don’t see PA on that map. Well, maybe Cliffy isn’t leaning toward Philly. And maybe I’ll stop thinking about the whole subject, go watch a movie and wait to see what will happen (or not happen) tomorrow.
What movie am I going to watch? “All Good Things” with Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst. Here’s the trailer.
It’s based on the true story of Robert Durst, who may or may not have murdered his wife in New York but definitely murdered his neighbor in Texas.
She-Fan Exclusive: Cashman and Jeter Sit Down in Tampa
BREAKING NEWS: It looks like after a day of media reports that the two sides were far apart in their contract negotiations, Brian Cashman and Derek Jeter have met and decided to make a deal. I’m very relieved, to say the least.
Since There’s No Yankees News, This Post Is About THEM
That’s right, the Fab Four (not to be confused with the Core Four). Today’s announcement that iTunes would now be making the Beatles’ music available for download was a huge thrill for me, and it took me exactly ten seconds to go on the site and click “Buy” next to all the songs I loved when I was growing up. Yes, I was one of those screaming teenagers who went crazy the first time I saw Paul, John, George and Ringo on “Ed Sullivan.” From then on, I hung their posters in my bedroom, bought their records, went to their movies (I actually saw “A Hard Day’s Night” 11 times and “Help” 13 times), terrorized my parents to let me go to their concerts. I was like the blonde girl in the video below who cries.
(Loved Groucho at the end of that.)
Anyhow, the Beatles were a big part of my childhood and even now when I see Paul McCartney at Yankee Stadium I go a little nuts. So today was a happy one for me and my iPod.
Oh, I guess there was a little Yankees news. Doc Halladay won another Cy Young award. How is that Yankees news? Because in my fantasies, he ended up in the Bronx, not Philadelphia – just like the Beatles came to my house and sang “I Want To Hold Your Hand.”
Nominees for 2010 She-Fan Video Award/MLBloggie (WITH WINNER UPDATE!)
In the absence of actual Yankees news and to provide a distraction from the tedious speculation about Jeter’s new contract, I’m hosting the annual She-Fan Video Awards early this year and you’re going to vote for the winners. Why wait until December when there are so many worthy candidates right now? In fact, when I pulled out the She-Fan Cam and sorted through all the vids from 2010, I realized I had to create separate categories for the award, just like the Oscars and Golden Globes do, instead of narrowing the field down to five nominees total.
So the first category is She-Fan Video Award/ MLBloggie, which means that the nominees either write their own blog on this site or comment on mine. Got it? Good. Here, then, are the nominees. Their fate is in your hands…
(Drum roll)
#1) Sue of the MLBlog “Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts.” Yes, she’s a Phillies fan, but consider these mitigating factors. In the video, which I shot during a spring training game at Bright House Field in Clearwater, she makes fun of her own players (Utley, Werth) and expresses her desire for a Yankees-Phillies World Series. It didn’t happen for either of our teams, obviously, but at least she wanted another crack at us. Take a look.
2) Harold, the Yankee fan father of Friend of the Blog Barbara. He took the time to drive up the Florida coast to hear me speak at a library, so for that alone he deserves consideration. And let’s not forget he’s been a Yankee fan longer than almost anybody who reads this blog. Sure, he was pessimistic about the Yanks’ chances to repeat in 2010, but let’s face it – he was right.
3) Emma of the MLBlog “Crzblue’s Dodger Blue World.” She’s a Dodger fan (duh), but she went out of her way to escort me around Dodger Stadium in June when the Yanks played there. She walked me up to the level where Peggy was sitting and waited while I left a note, and then she marched me up to the top level to find Jane, her fellow nominee in this category. Plus, she sang “Happy Birthday” to Jeter in the video.
4) Jane, the Yankee fan who leaves comments here as “ladyjane.” I had met her at Yankee Stadium a while ago, but this year she flew out to LA to see the Yanks play the Dodgers. She was the one who told me it was Jeter’s birthday. She goes to tons of games in the Bronx. She’s passionate about our boys. And – wait for it – Mo once handed her a baseball, which means she practically touched a god.
There you have it- four nominees, each with his/her own connection to this blog. Cast your vote for the 2010 She-Fan Award/MLBloggie by leaving a comment here and a winner will be crowned or, rather, fanned.
Next up: The Nominees for the 2010 She-Fan Video Award/Twitterette.
UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER!
Yup. Congratulations to Emma of “Crzblue’s Dodger Blue World” for taking home the golden fan!
The competition was getting tight there at the end. Harold jumped out to an early lead, then Emma started racking up the votes, and then Harold had a late surge. But in the end you guys picked Emma from among four excellent nominees – no easy task since Harold, Ladyjane and Sue were great in their videos too. Thanks to all for participating and making this off-season a little less ho-hum for me. The next category will follow shortly.
Meanwhile, I’m putting in my two cents about another gold award: the Gold Glove. Fingers crossed for Tex, Jeter and Cano. Gardner’s a long shot, but stranger things have happened.
If the Yankees Can’t Get Cliff Lee, Then…
Who? I mean it’s possible that Lee will sign somewhere else, it really is. So if not him, then who else? That’s what everybody seems to be asking today so I’ll join the discussion – only I warn you: I won’t make any sense. Why should reality get in the way of a good blog post? The truth is, Lee isn’t the best non-Yankees pitcher in baseball; he’s just the best free agent non-Yankees pitcher in baseball. Which means that we have to look at those who aren’t free agents and would, therefore, require a miraculous, impossible-to-pull-off trade. Here are those I covet, regardless of availability or practicality.
1) The Freak
So what if he just won a World Series for the Giants? Maybe he’s tired of the West Coast, not to mention the color orange.
2) Doc
Yeah, he’s got some mileage on him, but I’ve made no secret of my affection for him and maybe he misses the American League East.
3) King Felix
It’s true that his team hasn’t been a contender and he’s looked out of sorts on occasion, but he’s only 24 – plenty of time for him to mature into the game’s best pitcher.
4) The Zackster
He’s already said he won’t come to New York, but that doesn’t mean he means it. And maybe CC and Amber will find him an historic old house in rural New Jersey with a barn and horses and it’ll feel just like Kansas, as in Missouri.
5) Justy
That’s what Girardi would call Justin Verlander if he migrated to the Bronx. Sure, he’s the ace of the Tigers’ staff, but wouldn’t it be less pressure to be a #2 pitcher?
Those are my top five choices in case Cliff Lee doesn’t work out. Did I miss somebody? (This is why I don’t play fantasy baseball. I always miss somebody.)
Mood Swings Before Game 6
I woke up this morning feeling so happy and relieved that the Yankees had escaped death. Well, not death death, but you know what I mean. I went about my day with a smile, an extra spring in my step, not even getting upset when I received yet another junk fax from some company selling a trip to Cabo San Lucas. I ran into a Dodger fan friend who congratulated me on the Game 5 win.
“Your guys sent the series back to Texas. Great job,” she said.
“I know,” I said, beaming with pride. “They really fought back under extreme pressure.”
“Of course,” she added, “they’re still facing elimination tomorrow night.”
And that’s when my mood took a dive. It wasn’t that she told me something I didn’t already know. It was just that I didn’t want to hear it. I was content to remain in my bubble.
I went home and started watching the Phillies and Giants, thinking of all the reasons I don’t want our season to end and how Phil Hughes has to pitch the game of his young life.
“What’s wrong?” Michael asked me as I sat there in the fetal position.
“I’m worried about tomorrow night,” I said.
“But it’s still tonight,” he reminded me. “You’ve got 24 hours to get nervous.”
“True,” I acknowledged, “but -“
“You think the players are obsessing about tomorrow night?” he cut me off.
“No, they’re probably out having a good time with strippers and stuff.”
“There you go. If they’re not concerned about it, why should you be?”
I hate when he’s right. Still, I felt better reminding myself that the guys who will actually be playing the Rangers aren’t as nuts as I am. I jumped up and started making dinner, vowing to enjoy this night and worry about tomorrow tomorrow.
Speaking of dinner (we’re having roast chicken), I want to alert everybody that Cooperstown Cookie Company is having a terrific promotion – a $100 spending spree giveaway that requires only that you fill out a brief survey. So take two seconds and enter on their site. You could be eating lots and lots of yummy cookies.
Yanks-Twins Game 1: Sheer Joy
If only this little cheerleader could be wearing Yankees blue. Oh, well. You get the idea, which is that I’m really, really excited right now. Mo just saved the game and the Yanks came from behind to torture the Twins yet again. What a nail biter.
CC didn’t have his best stuff, but it didn’t matter; the offense picked him up. Grandy rewarded Joe’s faith in him, Tex went deep, Cano had a big RBI, lalalala. The next thing I knew we were erasing Minny’s lead – twice – and winning the ballgame. The only controversy was the Golson catch – and it was a catch, as the replay clearly showed. Why bother to have an extra outfield ump or two if they all miss the call? Oh well. I can afford to be charitable about it, since there was no harm done.
In other news, I would be remiss if I didn’t congratulate Doc Halladay for the no-hitter. He’s an amazing pitcher. I’ll never stop wishing he were a Yankee, but what a thrill for Phillies fans.
Back to our game, the victory sure does make me feel better about tomorrow night. I assume Mo won’t be available for Game 2, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I just hope Andy feels dandy and pitches like it.
I’m Sorry; This Entire Post Is A Rant About A.J. Burnett
When I saw this picture, I couldn’t help thinking of another character altogether.
But the image that sticks in my mind is the one of him walking off the mound after Joe pulled him tonight.
He’s kind of smirking, kind of scowling, kind of nutty – sort of like Tony Perkins in “Psycho.”
But then I lit on the shot from the “It Is High” blog, and that did it. I started cracking up, and tonight’s miserable game became just a bad joke. Their caption is entitled…”A.J. Brunette.”
He’s cute, isn’t he?
OK, enough about the photos and onto AJ’s “performance.” He had nothing. I mean nothing. The Jays can hit the ball, no question, but did every pitch have to be right in their happy zone? What the hell is wrong with Burnett? Is it just a confidence thing at this point? Because I thought he and Dave Eiland had worked it out, talked it out, hugged it out, whatever it is they do, and yet the result has been awful. I get why he needs to stay in the rotation; he did pitch well in the playoffs last year and Ivan Nova isn’t ready for prime time. But his 2010 has been abysmal, and it’s hard to understand why. Yes, I know. The Rays lost. So what? This isn’t about other teams. It’s about the fact that we need starters. Now. When I saw that Roy Halladay clinched tonight for the Phillies, I turned green with envy. He was the one I wanted all along. People said, “Oh, we don’t need him. We already have an ace.” True, but what would have been the problem with having two aces?
I’d better stop now before I explode.
Everything But The Kitchen Sink
Sometimes, even the best laid plans go awry. Tonight’s plan at my house was for the Yankees to beat the Phillies in time for us to switch over to the Lakers, who would beat the Celtics while Michael and I ate the steak he had cooked on the grill.
A relaxing evening. That’s what I was hoping for. Unfortunately, the Yankees didn’t cooperate. They wasted Andy Pettitte’s valiant effort and looked sluggish and flat yet again. Ever since they hit Roy Halladay, their bats have been made of swiss cheese (not counting Cano, who is exempt from every criticism this season). No point in dragging out the gory details, including the umpiring, although special mention must go to Joba. What’s his deal anyway? Can he pitch in relief or can’t he? Okay, so the Yankees lost. We switched over to the Lakers, who didn’t disappoint. Neither did the steak. But just as I was about to wash the dishes, a torrent of water started pouring out from underneath the kitchen sink, and I went running for towels.
Something was leaking, which wouldn’t be a big deal except that the plumber spent hours here yesterday fixing the same leak. Trying not to panic, I called him while I watched the water gush and Kobe Bryant hold the championship trophy high in the air. No answer. Why should he pick up the phone? Everybody in SoCal was watching the Lakers!
“What should we do?” I asked Michael.
A man of few words, he grunted and went outside to shut off the water to the house. So now we have no water until, hopefully, the plumber comes back tomorrow to re-fix the leak he didn’t fix yesterday. Yeah, relaxing.
Moyer Oldest Pitcher To Beat Yankees
You bet he’s celebrating. Drink one for me, J-Mo.
Somehow, he managed to stymie the Yankees and make them look utterly inept at the plate – on a night when our own starter was struggling in every possible way.
Don’t you love the New York papers? This headline from the Daily News cracked me up. Anyhow, A.J. was wild (not unusual) but he was also throwing fat pitch after fat pitch…
…and the Phillies, who’d been slumping, suddenly unslumped. The last straw was when A.J. failed to cover first on a grounder to Tex. He left to a chorus of boos, as if he had just walked off the mound in Philadelphia, not the Bronx.
As a matter of principle, I’m against booing any Yankee for any reason (except when I’m on Twitter and have no problem typing the word “boooo”), but A.J.’s lack of hustle – particularly after CC failed to cover first the night before – made me mad. On a positive note, the pen was terrific. Boone Logan and Chad Gaudin (yes, Chad Gaudin) came through for multiple innings, giving the Yankees a chance to get back in the game. It didn’t happen. Sadly. But tomorrow night we’ll have Andy on the hill. He’s bound to be our stopper.
P.S. Super she-fan Peggy, friend of the blog, sent me pics from her daughter Kristyn’s trip to the Yankees’ meet and great on Tuesday with Cano and A-Rod. Here’s Kristyn cheek to cheek with Robbie.
Are we jealous or what?!
Confessions of a She-Fan 