Yanks limp into Fenway, with "discreet" A-Rod in tow...

Yanks arrive at the Fens with their tails between their legs. They were swept at home and then lost 2 of 3 vs. Toronto dropping them 7 games under .500, 13 ½ back of the Sox, and into last place with the lowly Rays. The ultimate sign of their current state is to hold their $28M man back and not pitch against their bitter rivals. Maybe they should wear yellow uniforms this weekend…

Once again they have the dream of sweep on their minds, but they are in worse position now than the last series. It’s become a must win 3 series to even think about saving their season. Even then, the lead is double digits, they’re still 4 games under .500, and they don’t play the Sox again until late August.

Don’t expect the Sox to just roll over - especially with a pissed off Schill and laser-hot Beckett. Wake is due for a win against them as well. How about a Sox sweep? 16 ½ games is a hole they’ll never climb out of. Steinbrenner will blow a gasket with Torre & Cashman breaking out their golf bags.

Will someone out there try and get this definition to A-Fraud who continues to make new “friends” throughout the league:

dis·creet (adjective)
Marked by, exercising, or showing prudence and wise self-restraint in speech and behavior; circumspect
Free from ostentation or pretension; modest.


Try adding it to your vocabulary dumb ass. Better yet, let’s hand out t-shirts with that definition on them in BRIGHT ORANGE letters - before each game this weekend…

Forgetting his off field nonsense, his true colors come shining thru once again. Late in a game vs. Toronto, the fraud was running between short and third during a 2 out pop-up. Reportedly he shouted “Mine” while running between the two infielders. And the ball dropped between them because they both backed off. Once again he resorted to a bush league play to try and help his team win.

Not dirty you say? Part of the game? Bull. You can make the argument that fans or players screaming while a player is at bat shouldn’t affect them. True. The same doesn’t apply in the field. When two players are going after the same ball there are many factors at work. One guy might have a better vantage point or even trying to avoid injury. Fans aren’t close enough to affect those types of plays. It’s one of baseball’s unwritten laws. Why do you think Toronto was so pissed off?

Off field issues aside, A-Fraud is a piece of crap. Wonder why so many players hate the guy? The picture is becoming clearer. The Arroyo slap, the Pedroia elbow, the Toronto shout, and his overall sense of entitlement. Jeez, what’s next? Will he pull a Tyson? Hopefully he’ll “Fade into Bolivian” too…

Embarrassment grows to new heights in NY...

It’s an understatement to say the Yanks are reeling. Even after Torre’s recent team meeting, they’re still imploding. It’s inexcusable to lose when someone steals home especially on a vet like Pettite. Just Pathetic. Or maybe it’s that dominant Blue Jays starting staff? Nah…
For all of you Yankee season ticket holders, paper bags are now on sale. Scissors to cut out eye holes not included. Check out www.BrownBagsForOverpricedHacks.com. Plenty of room to write in a funny saying or even that 14 ½ game deficit! Get a 10% discount if you mention the Unknown Comic sent you…

Why? They’ve waived the white flag. The $28 million dollar man won’t make an appearance at Fenway this weekend. Sissies… They are afraid to throw Clemens against the Sox this weekend. How do you spend all this money, have him rush his return, and than not pitch him against your biggest rivals? What the heck are you paying him for? Who ever thought the fear of embarrassment would drive their decision making. Wow. The $28M spark is just a fart in the wind…

With all the on field issues, “Stray-Rod” couldn’t have picked a worse time to get caught. Hey dummy, they have newspapers and EYES in Canada too. It’s not like he was posing for a picture. He was spotted at dinner, a strip club, and his hotel with a “curvy blond”. Doh! He must be trying to draw attention away from his teammates…

How much longer will the downward spiral continue before Georgie boy starts axing people? Clearly Torre has lost control and influence over his team. Cashman’s most recent acquisitions are struggling mightily (Damon, Abreu, Igawa ($26M ouch), and lets not forget Pavano). The lack of depth (especially in the pen) is another major flaw which is inexcusable with their size of payroll.

For the rest of the season, Ronan Tynan will be performing “The Way We Were” during the 7th… Has anyone seen Barbara?

Correction from the last post…
Tampa Bay’s payroll (you know, the team you are tied with in last place) is EIGHT times smaller than NY’s. It’s cost TB only $1.2M per win and the Yanks $10.1M. How’s that ROI Georgie?

Nightmare on 161st street… Yanks are basement dwellers…

It’s not April anymore kids – its June. Is your favorite team above five hundred yet? No? Seven under you say?

Your (stink) bombers have played their way into last place and a staggering 13 ½ games out of first. To steal a bud’s line, “I thought they were in first but my paper was upside down.”

You’re sharing the basement with Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay. Your payroll is more than 4 times higher. Now that’s embarrassing.

Joe Torre is getting booed off the field. Never thought the day would come when Torre would get booed at home. Wow. Poor bastard doesn’t even know when to leave em in or take em out… Looks like his 45 minute pre-game meeting didn’t do much to inspire the troops either.

The Boss is pointing the finger at Cashman – who is “on a big hook”. Anyone looking for a new GM? It’s only a matter of time before he gets axed with Torre close behind.

Remember when signing Clemens was a good idea?
That was back on May 6th, when the Yanks were one game under .500 and 5 1/2 back. Three weeks later - it’s morphed into a nightmarish 7 games under .500 and 13 ½ back. Don’t forget about that 9 game wildcard lead with EVERYONE other than KC and Texas in front of you…

Think your pitching is getting better? We get Beckett back tonight (yes we’ve been winning anyway). We have an upgrade in the number five spot just waiting in the minors in lefty Jon Lester. And our bullpen gets better & deeper with the return of Tavares. Not to mention Timlin – whenever he gets back. Oh and by the way, Schill pitched his best game all season last night…

In order for the Yanks to have a shot at a wildcard, they basically need to duplicate one of their best seasons ever – 1998 – the rest of the way. Snowballs in hell before that happens baby…

If the Yanks somehow manage a miracle sweep (huh) next weekend, they still sit under .500 with a double digit deficit. That sounds like a Disney Move – “D cubed” (Double-digit-deficit); “The loveable losers’ story”. Actually with that bloated payroll, it should be more like “Titanic” with A-Rod starring as Dicaprio's “King of the World”…

Look at it this way, golf scores will be much lower in NY than in Boston this summer. No need to watch baseball anymore. Maybe you’ll even see Clemens on the links while you're out there. Take a year off Yanks fans, your team has already…

On a serious note...
All jabbing aside, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family & friends of Patriots DL Marquise Hill who died in a jet-ski accident over the weekend. Only 24, he leaves a fiancée and little boy behind. Have a safe and fun summer folks – life can be too short.

Sweep Dreams...

Those thoughts of a Yankee sweep disappeared quicker than Manny’s blast in the first. The Yanks only managed three hits off the Sox #5 starter Tavares. There were rumblings in NY that a sweep was coming based on the Yanks pitching rotation. This was the series to turn their struggling season around.

If anything, it’s gotten worse. Mussina was throwing his “fastball” between 83-86. That Era is not coming down folks. He might still be able to get by some of the weaker lineups, but he’s going to get lit up often vs. a good team. After the game, he commented; "It's almost June and I don't feel like I've done anything as far as contributing, up to this point." No kidding. Keep it up Moose.

And what was Torre thinking in the 7th last night? From a guy who always goes to the pen early, why did he let Mussina dangle? It could have cost them the game. And you’ve gotta love the Mike Myers experiment. Specifically brought in to deal with Papi in the late innings, he’s only served up 3H and 3 RBI’s in 3AB. Keep trotting him out there Joe…

Is anyone more self-destructive than A-Rod? He still can’t handle himself in a big situation once again. While trying to “break-up” a double play, he threw a cheap shot at 2B Pedroia. He slid in with a high elbow and then pushed Pedroia while he was throwing. Clearly interference. Clearly dirty. Must be hard for a 6’3” guy to push around a 5’9” guy. At least there was no karate chop. He’s clearly insecure as he continually resorts to this type of behavior. Is it that he hasn’t done enough himself or that he’ll be to blame? The bright lights of NY clearly aren’t helping. Expect some chin music from Schill tonight…

Not sure about the play? Here’s the vid link: mms://a1503.v108692.c10869.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/10869/v0001/mlb.download.akamai.com/10869/2007/open/tp/archive05/052207_bosnya_rodriguez_elbow_tp_350.wmv?ct3=5090684&ct4=mlb&ct5=23-May-07

We eagerly await the return of Clemens back to Fenway on June 3rd for Sunday Night Baseball. Getting giddy just thinking about it. Talk about a hostile environment. Duracell is thinking about sponsoring the game. How would any pitcher perform only after a few tune ups in the minors? It’s going to be a loud night at the Fens. Will the hamstring pop be louder than the crack of the bats?

Some Random Yankee questions…

- Will Dr. Kevorkian be performing season ending (and contract ending) surgery for Pavano?

- How late into June/July will it be before the Yanks reach .500?

- When the Yanks terminate/trade “amphetamine boy” Giambi, how many balls will actually be in the bag of balls they get in return?

- How long before Torre gets the ax and Mattingly does worse?

- How much young talent will Georgie force Cashman to pony up for a #4 or #5 starter at the deadline?

- Will the Yanks be 15 or 20 games out in their next meeting with the Sox in the last week of Aug?

Stay tuned to find out…

Yanks ready to sink or swim...

The Sox enter the Bronx on cruise control while the Yanks are battling just to stay afloat. Some of you Yanks fans have already thrown in the towel wishing a first round playoff loss for the Sox. Outstanding. Way to get behind your team. At least you’re realistic…

Not much more could be going wrong for your bombers with Rasner the latest starter to go down. Someone better be carrying Clemens luggage when he gets here or he might pull something. And by the way, that was the Sox AA team that just beat him. Can you feel the NY headlines coming; “$28M Mistake” or “Rocket Crashes after Launch” or “$28M Hammy”. He’s rushing back and it will absolutely come back to haunt him.

The latest debacle is Giambi talking about roids. Could he have timed that any worse? It also gives the Yanks leverage to dump him. This comes right on top of the Farnsworth comments about the "Clemens Clause". If he was talking that freely about it, you know there have been the same discussions in that locker room. Farnsworth doesn’t have the cache or juice (couldn’t resist) to come out on his own to make such a statement. You know that the more prominent guys feel the same way but they were smart enough not to say it. Only time will tell if he negatively affects the clubhouse. You can forget that “leadership” and “stabilizing force” nonsense some of you have been spouting. Now even some columnists are calling for Torre's head as well...

The Yanks have their best chance to win a series with Wang, Mussina, and Pettite slated to go. But face it, they need a sweep. Taking two games only moves them to 9 ½ back and still 3 games under .500. Same goes for the next series in Boston. And if you haven’t noticed, they’re playing really well. Good luck with that.

The Sox have a golden opportunity to bury the Yanks for good. But realistically they only need to win 2 of the next 6 to maintain a comfortable lead. They have no pressure. The Yanks on the other hand have a lineup full of guys pressing. Wang has been inconsistent and Mussina has yet to find his groove. Get your shovels ready…

What can your Yanks do to turn things around? Does Cashman sacrifice some of the young talent he’s been trying to stockpile? Or are they too far behind to risk it? The only viable pitcher rumored to be available is Dan Haren, but he’s an injury waiting to happen. Why else would the A’s put him out there? Will they rush Hughes back – again? Damon’s body is starting to break down, and Abreu looks like his skills are fading fast. Maybe the Yanks try to land Helton, but it still doesn’t fix pitching. Things are pretty bleak, and we’re soaking it all in. It’s on-field and off the field, coming from every which way. And it’s beeeeeeautiful….

Sox continue rolling on… Yanks freefall lands them into second...

Sox continue rolling on… Yanks freefall into second. Yanks fall to eight and a half back and slide into second without even playing. When will they finally reach .500 and stay there? With Chicago, the Mets, and then Sox upcoming, don’t hold your breath…

The Sox continue to get good pitching and are now pounding the ball. They lead the majors in runs, and are third in Era. They continue to get it done sporting the majors’ best record and biggest division lead. Despite an injury to Timlin and Beckett to miss a few starts, it doesn’t get much better around here. We’ll probably see Lester before Beckett gets back too…

So how are things in NY? Apparently Clemens is only 2 or 3 minor league starts away. Good luck with that one. If his first start is at Fenway, he’s going to get lit up like a Christmas tree. A hostile crowd (yikes), a must win game/series, and a 45 year old frame with a hammy about to pop? $28M for only a few innings would be a shame

We envision the next MC commercial to be something like this:

Rocket Redux: $28 Million Dollars
Scalped Ticket vs. Yanks at Fenway: $300 Dollars
Hearing a hammy pop all the way in the bleachers: $Priceless

With just under forty games played, there are some terrific performers on both squads. Despite A-Rod’s lighting April and cool May, Jeter has been overshadowed while putting up some big numbers, and Posada is right behind. Few guys ever hit .375 at this point in the season. You’ve also got to be happy with Pettite to this point.

For the Sox, Wake has been phenomenal and continues his baffling of hitters. Until Beckett’s setback, he was looking like the early Cy Young fav. Mike Lowell is having a career year, Papelbon is just awesome, and Okajima is the find of the year. Papi is being Papi, with Youkilis & Varitek really hot.

The Yanks have a number of disappointments. After the 3 hitters mentioned, it’s been bleak. Matsui isn’t himself yet and Giambi is OK. Johnny Damon’s body is starting to break down (see Theo Epstein passing on long term deal), and everyone else is hitting under .260. Wow. Pitching hasn’t improved much even with the return of Wang and Mussina. Clemens won’t be doing much for the pen pitching 5 and 1/3 innings. How’s Mo and his 7+ era? And Torre continues to kill his pen with the starters struggling to get thru 5 innings. Procter was probably praying for that suspension...

Not much happening on the down side here – especially they way the Sox are playing. No complaints from the pitching staff. Not one. When was the last time that ever happened? Lugo and Pedroia are starting to come alive and JD Drew has cooled significantly since his great start. Coco has struggled mightily at the plate but has been outstanding in the field.

Will the Yanks get healthy? Is Clemens really a difference maker? Will it be too late to catch the Sox?

It is only May, but your beloved Yanks haven’t hit .500 yet. They still have a ways to go just to get healthy. Even then, age is a major factor so health may only be temporary. Most likely, you’re not going to have everyone back healthy at the same time. Your savior, Clemens, is not going to put up NL numbers, or make it to Sept without breaking down. Guaranteed. How do you solve the pen issues if they’re already worn down by August? All of a sudden, that formidable lineup has become tame. Looks like a round of trades for a #4 type pitcher at the deadline.

For those of you pulling out the “1978” card, consider the shape of your team before thinking that will ever happen. Or at least wait until your team breaks .500…

It will be nice hearing from you in late June…

Yanks land Clemens, hope springs in NY...

It came as a surprise to the Yanks bench, and also all of baseball on Sunday. The Rocket re-launch is on for his second tenure in NY. The desperate Yanks threw a ridiculous prorated $28M at the aging superstar. It's now hurry up and wait for the Rocket's debut in early June, which coincidentally is in a series against the Sox.

We can see his true motivation is the cash money. If he was really motivated by another ring, why wouldn't he join a team in the best position to win? The Sox wanted him to start in late June / early July to be fresh for Sept & a playoff run. But they offered $10M less than the Yanks at a prorated $18M. Now he's rushing to the lineup because they need him now. That could have devasting effects on him pitching late in the season.

As good as Clemens numbers have been in the NL, he fights a tougher battle against the more potent AL lineups. The other big factor is that he didn't even average 6 innings per start last season. That number is not going to get better in the AL on a soon to be 45 year old frame. So, the Yanks bullpen issues don't improve much having to carry 3+ innings in each start. They're already overworked.

He's going to win his fair share of games - even the Big Unit managed 17 wins with an Era over 5 last season - somehow. He provides a stabilizing force in the rotation, and makes them a better team starting in June. But the Yanks still need to tread water until then and stay healthy once he's hit his stride. Easier said than done.


While the addition of the Boston Traitor doesn't put the Yanks over the top, it certainly heats up the rivalry - not to mention any start Clemens has at Fenway. It's going to be very ugly. He could have had a story book ending to his career here in Boston, but he's now just another NY hired gun taking the money and running. It's too bad because the city would have embraced him as their own once again and all would have been forgiven. As hated and dispicable as Barry Bonds is, Clemens will probably get bigger boos at Fenway this year. Don't bring your kids to those games folks. Yikes...


He does add more theatre to a season where the Yanks looked to be fading away. Now that electric atmosphere returns. Let's hope it dicatates into a Sox-Yanks Sept battle for the playoffs. It's just not the same otherwise...