Looking Back: The White Sox Series

The White Sox came limping into Yankee Stadium on Monday night, a broken bunch that looked as if it would break more. Instead, Chicago hung with the Yankees, earning a split in the four-game series.

Highlights
1. The starting pitching was lights out in this series. AJ Burnett, Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon and CC Sabathia each produced solid starts, giving the Yankees a chance to win each game.

2.  We saw some signs of life from Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher, who both came up big in game 4. Gardner now has three home runs and Swisher finally hit his first last night.

Lowlights
1. Rafael Soriano's struggles continued. He pitched poorly in game 1 and really laid an egg in game 2. But, Joe Girardi is sticking with him. What else can he do?

2. Although the bats came to life in the final game, the Yankee offense was missing in action throughout most of this series. I don't think you could call what they were in a slump. They ran into three great pitching performances, especially Phil Humber's in game 1. There also was some stellar White Sox defense, including Brent Lillibridge's game saving catches in the 9th inning of game 2.

Looking Ahead
It's back to AL East opponents this weekend as the Yankees play a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays. With Jose Bautista in the Jays lineup and the Yankees leading the Majors with 41 homers, this series could easily turn into Home Run Derby. That being said, we'll probably see three pitchers duals. Go  Yankees.

The Vandalizing Of Brent Lillibridge's Wikipedia Page

While I'm still licking my wounds over what Brent Lillibridge of the White Sox did last night at Yankee Stadium, I am managing a smile at what happened to his Wikipedia page. Yahoo Sports is reporting that someone changed the "Early Life" section of his page to read as follows:

Lillibridge was born in the deepest caverns of ancient mesopotamia. When he was five years old he mastered the art of natural pwning through rightfield. His dad, the famous god Marduk gave him the power of ultimate invincibility, giving him the force to withstand glass. Due to a virgin birth, his mother never loved him :'( but it didn't matter because his friends were there for him. One thousand years later, he laid dormant until the white sox discovered his frozen body in the jungles of Mexico.

Kind of funny, I guess. It definitely wasn't written by a Yankee fan. Too tame. What I find interesting is that the blurb was removed by "Wikipedia minions" just minutes after it was added. Out of all the thousands of Wikipedia pages, how did they know of this vandalism so quickly after it occurred? My guess: the minions themselves, having seen or heard about the end of the game last night, decided to have a little fun for a few minutes. They assumed no one would know but, thanks to Yahoo, more than a few people found out about it.

Looking Back: The Orioles Series (4/22/11 - 4/24/11)

The Yankees have now faced the Orioles four times this season and have won all four games. The latest series was full of drama, pathos, tears, laughter and--oh, never mind. Here's a recap:

Highlights
1.  Coming off a bout with the flu, CC Sabathia earned his first win of the season, pitching 8 innings, giving up 3 runs, walking 1 and striking out 7. Can he have the flu before every start?

2. Freddy Garcia gave the Yankees another 6 scoreless innings. Freddy Garcia! Who'd a thunk it?

3. The home-runs just keep on coming. A total of 6 Yankee homers were hit in this series, including 2 by Russell Martin and a grand slam by Alex Rodriguez. Can we just declare A-Rod the AL MVP right now?

4. Robinson Cano continued his offensive dominance at Camden Yards. Why don't we just call the place Robinson Yards?

Lowlights
1. Game one was rained out. That brings the total number of Yankee games postponed by rain to three. No makeup dates have been announced for any of them.

2. Mariano Rivera blew another save. Let the annual "Is Mo Finished?" debate begin.

3. Russell Martin got plunked after hitting his two home-runs Saturday night. He thought it was intentional and so did I.

Looking Ahead
The reeling Chicago White Sox come to the Bronx tonight to start a four game series with the Yankees. Chicago is 8-14 and has lost 9 of its last 10 games. Means nothing. Every team gets up to play the Yankees and the White Sox will be no different. The question is this: Will they get to play all four games? There is rain in the forecast for all four days. Not cool, Mother Nature. Not cool.

Blacks In MLB Down To 8.5%: My Thoughts

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida has released its annual report on the diversity of Major League Baseball. According to an article on ESPN.com, the report lists the percentage of black MLB players at 8.5%, down from 9.1% in 2010.  It has been declining a little every year since 2008 when it was at 10.2%.

At last count, the article on ESPN's website generated 2,582 comments, most of them critical of the article and the report. Most of the comments asked why no one is doing studies on the small number of whites and asians in the NFL and NBA. For example, jayk318 said this:

"Here's what I don't get......why aren't there studies done to determine the lack of white, hispanic, asian, etc. players in the NFL or NBA? Or the lack of asian players in the MLB? I could go in several directions with this, but the point is made. Why is the focus ONLY on the percentage of black players in MLB? And how is it anyone's responsibility to raise that percentage?"

Why? Jackie Robinson, that's why. Jackie Robinson was not only the first black player in Major League Baseball. He was the first black player in any major American sport. He paved the way, not only for other black baseball players, but for black players in the NBA, NFL and beyond. Had he not been successful, who's to say if or when a black athlete would have been given another chance? Also many historians believe that things like Brown vs Board Of Education and the Civil Rights Movement would never have happened had Robinson not been successful.

Now keep all of this in mind and think about that 8.5% again. The sport that started it all, that led to doors opening throughout society, has dwindling numbers of blacks on its fields. I think that's pretty significant.

What do you think?

LATB Poll Results: Jeter Will Reach 3,000 Hits Before The All-Star Break

Derek Jeter is now 60 hits away from 3,000, and according to the results of the latest LATB Poll, he'll get them before the All Star Break.

It was a small sample size, but 61% of those who voted said Jeter will will join the 3,000-hit club before the mid-summer classic. Another 38% said he'd get there after the All Star Break. No one thought it would happen at the end of the season or next season.

I was part of that 38% who said Jeter wouldn't get there until after the All Star Break. He doesn't look good at the plate right now or at shortstop either for that matter. He's definitely on the decline.

Didn't get a chance to vote? You can still let your voice be heard. Click on "cheers and jeers" below the blog post to leave your comments.

Looking Back: The Blue Jays Series

This week's Yankees/Blue Jays series was a two-game set, sandwiched between two off-days. Two off-days in one week? What's that about?  I'm sure the players love it. (Nick Swisher tweeted something about going fishing on the second off-day.) The fans (well, me, at least), not so much.

Anyway, there were two pretty exciting games north of the border this week. Here are a few highlights and lowlights:

Highlights
1. Bartolo Colon was great. He pitched into the seventh inning in game two, allowing only two runs on five hits, retiring 12 straight at one point. He made me think of his glory days in Cleveland, Montreal and Anaheim. If he can pitch like this all season the Yankees will have truly found lightening in a bottle.

2. David Robertson showed off his Houdini act in game, coming into a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning. He struck out two, including Travis Snider, who broke his bat over his leg in frustration. Robertson said that if he did what Snider did he'd have broken his leg. That made me laugh.

Lowlights
Just one, really. Mariano Rivera blew his first save of the year. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's stunning to everyone, and no one looks more stunned, to me, than Rivera himself. Not fun at all.

Looking Ahead
The Yankees spend this weekend in Baltimore playing the Orioles. The pitchers for the series are CC Sabathia, Freddy Garcia and Ivan Nova. Will this be the weekend CC finally gets his first win of the season?  Will Garcia have another great outing? Will Ivan be Super Nova? The Yankees play well in Baltimore, but this, of course, is baseball. Anything can happen.

Mo Falls Apart, I Stay Pain-Free

I don't know about other Yankee fans, but when the Yankees suffer a really tough loss, like last night's, I like to pretend that the sports media doesn't exist. I don't listen to sportstalk radio, I don't watch Sportscenter, and I stay away from the back pages of the local newspapers. It's just too much of a painful reminder of the previous night or day.

Unless, of course, it was a night like last night. Last night the New York Knicks fell into an 0-2 hole after losing their second straight playoff game to the Boston Celtics. I guessed that the media's focus would be on the Knicks and not on the Yankees and Mariano Rivera's shocking blown save. I was right. It's been practically non-stop Knicks ever since the final buzzer sounded last night in Boston. The only blip on the radar was early this morning when a stupid Mets fan called into WFAN and laughed hysterically at Mariano Rivera.

Stupid? That's a little harsh. But wait, the Mets have the worst record in baseball and he has the nerve to laugh at Mo? Yeah, he's stupid.

Looking Back: The Rangers Series

I still get depressed when I think about the 2010 ALCS. The Yankees were two wins away from the World Series but just couldn't get it done. That they got it done this past weekend against the Rangers is little consolation but I'll take it.

Highlights
1. Freddy Garcia gave the Yankees a much-needed 6 scoreless innings in game two. Doing this after not having pitched in 18 days was pretty good. Doing it against the Texas Rangers, an offensive powerhouse, was downright impressive.

2. Lance Pendleton made his Major League debut in game one, retiring all 6 batters he faced. Could we have another Aaron Small on our hands?

3. The home runs just keep on coming. Mark Teixeira (1), Robinson Cano (2), Russell Martin (1) and Curtis Granderson (1) all homered in this series. That's 24 in total so far for the team.

4. Eric Chavez continued to make Brian Cashman look like a genius, getting the winning hit in game 3. In fact, most of Cashman's acquisitions over the Winter (Chavez, Garcia, Martin)  are making him look pretty good right now.

Lowlights
1. Ivan Nova has reverted back to his 2010 form. He couldn't get out of the 5th inning in game one.

2. Speaking of the 5th inning in game 1, it was a total disaster, with walks wild pitches and hit batsmen the order of the day.  Very painful to watch.

3. Rafael Soriano had a very shaky game two, giving up two runs in the 8th, almost wiping away Freddy Garcia's great start. Soriano and Joe Girardi blamed the outing on the cold weather. Cold weather. Heard of October, Sori?

Looking Ahead
The Yankees have two off-days this week, today and Thursday. Two? What is that about? Anyway, the Toronto Blue Jays are the next oponent. The Jays always play the Yankees hard and these two games scheduled against the Yankees won't be any different. Look for two very intense days north of the border.

Freddy Garcia's Pitching Clinic

Okay, raise your hand if you thought Freddy Garcia would pitch as well as he did yesterday. No, I can't tell if you're raising your hand, but I don't have to. I know you're not.

Garcia turned in a great performance, pitching 6 scoreless innings, giving up only a walk and two hits. This with his velocity in the mid-to-high 80s. He located all his pitches and changed speeds, which meant he didn't have to throw 95 MPH. Phil Hughes, were you paying attention?

Speaking of Hughes, he starts a throwing program today, designed (hopefully) to strengthen his arm and increase his velocity. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild said, “We’re going to try to tire it out a little bit, tire it out and rest it. We’ll go that way and see what we get.” [Bombers Beat]  Sounds like Rothschild is experimenting here. We shall see how his guinea pig does.

Reminder: Don't forget to vote in the poll on the left sidebar of the blog. Let me know when you think Jeter will reach 3,000 hits!

Looking Back: The Orioles Series

The Orioles came into Yankee Stadium leading the AL East by one game and, thanks to the Yankees, left it trailing by one game. It's early, of course, but no matter what time of year it is, Yankee fans love the sound of  "first-place Yankees."

Highlights
1. AJ Burnett pitched well for the third straight start. As someone in my Twitter timeline tweeted, he now has more wins (3) than the Boston Red Sox (2).

2. The offense picked up. Guys who hadn't been hitting (Teixeira, Jeter, Posada, Granderson) were able to fatten up on Orioles pitching.

3. The defense was smoking, especially in the second game. There were great plays by Granderson and Swisher, but Joba Chamberlain's block of the plate saved game 2.

4. Bartolo Colon continued to impress. Once again he stopped the bleeding and gave his team a chance to come back.

5. The first pie of the season went to Nick Swisher!

Lowlights
There is just one, really. Phil Hughes continued his terrible start to the season. This time he was gone after just 70 pitches. His fastball averaged only 89.05 MPH.

Looking Ahead
The AL Champion Texas Rangers are next, a three-game weekend series at the Stadium. I hate to admit it, but the Yankees look over-matched in this series. However, as every good baseball fan knows, you can't predict baseball. Go, Yankees.

LATB Poll: When Will Derek Jeter Reach 3,000 Hits?

Going into today's action, Derek Jeter is 67 hits away from 3,000.  He's hitting .206 with 5 walks, 5 strikeouts and 2 RBIs. The slow start he's gotten off to has me wondering just when he'll get base hit number 3,000. Will he get it before the All-Star Break? After the All-Star Break?  At the end of the season?  Next season (Yikes!)?

I've put a poll up on the left sidebar of the blog asking this very question. What do you think? The poll closes a week from today, so cast your vote and let me know!

Looking Back: The Red Sox Series

In and of itself, a first series loss of the season isn't such a bad thing.  But when it comes at the hands of the Boston Red Sox it is bad.  And when it comes against a Red Sox team that went into the series 0-6 it is downright depressing. Here is my reluctant look back:

Highlights
1. Robinson Cano continued his offensive dominance at Fenway Park. Going into last night's game his Fenway batting average was .367.  On Saturday I tweeted, "Maybe they should call it Robbie Park."

2. New additions Russell Martin and Eric Chavez had their first taste of Yankees/Red Sox and they liked it, Martin homering twice and Chavez getting a couple of key hits.

3. Bartolo Colon pitched well enough to win on Friday. He looked like the dominant pitcher he was for the Cleveland Indians years ago.

Lowlights
1. Phil Hughes and his lack of velocity. Need I say more?

2. Ivan Nova reverted back to his 2010 form. He let the leadoff guy on in each inning he pitched and could not get out of the fifth inning.

3. Mark Teixeira's great start seems to have turned into a false start. After jumping out of the gate he is now batting only .182. He was hitless in this series and also made a costly error in the field.

Looking Ahead
Buck Showalter and his Baltimore Orioles come to town tomorrow night. Every team Showalter touches turns to gold and the Orioles are no exception. Baltimore is no pushover anymore and I expect this series to be just as intense as the Red Sox series was. More later this week.

A Question For Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez is either really, really dumb or he just doesn't care.

As everyone knows, he retired yesterday after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. This makes three times that he has tested positive, not two, as most media outlets are reporting. The New York Times reminded readers today that Manny was one of the players, along with Alex Rodriguez, who tested positive during survey testing back in 2003.

So he got caught three times. I have one question: Has Manny Ramirez ever heard of HGH?  Don't get me wrong. I'm not a proponent of performance-enhancing drugs. Unlike some fans I do care whether or not the game is tainted. But there is no test for HGH. Why didn't Manny just use that if he wanted to enhance his performance?

I guess it's not that simple. Or is it that Manny is that simple? All I know is that he looks pretty stupid right now.

Phil Hughes: No Answers

Everything is fine, he says. He's not hurt. He's not fatigued. It's nothing mechanical. Why, then, has Phil Hughes lost the velocity on his fastball?

No one has an answer, and that has me scratching my head. With all the technological advances to the game these days, you'd think this would be something that could be figured out relatively easily. But Yankee management is making it sound as if all anyone can do is hope and pray that Hughes finds his velocity.

How long does one hope and pray? Until after his next start? Until the end of April? Or, does no one have an answer to that either?

It boggles my mind.

Looking Back: The Twins Series

The Yankees ate some Twinkies this week. Here's how they tasted:

Highlights
1. In his first start of the season Ivan Nova gave the Yankees 6 innings, something he could never manage to do last year.

2. Once again, CC Sabathia pitched well enough to win.

3. AJ Burnett continued his mastery in the Month of April.

4. Andruw Jones showed why he is a better fourth outfielder than Marcus Thames.

Lowlights
1. Rafael Soriano's implosion in game 2.

2. Soriano's failure to meet with the media after game 2.

3. Michael Kay's name for the bullpen trio of Joba Chamberlain, Soriano and Mariano Rivera: JoSoMo.

4. John Sterling's home run call of Jones' first Yankee home run: "Andruw Jones makes his bones!"

Looking Ahead
The Yankees head to Fenway Park this afternoon to begin a weekend series with the 0-6 Boston Red Sox. Ha! I can't type "0-6 Boston Red Sox" without grinning like a fool. I suspect, however, that I won't be grinning as much once this series gets under way. Whether they are 0-6 or not, the Red Sox are still a great team and Yankees won't have an easy time this weekend.

Soriano Implodes, Doesn't Face Reporters

Last night's Yankee loss left a really bad taste in my mouth. That taste became worse this morning when I read the end of Mike Feinsand's column in the Daily News:

"...I can't tell you how Soriano will handle his implosion. He bolted the clubhouse before talking to reporters, leaving his teammates to answer for his mess. Nick Swisher, Dave Robertson and Boone Logan all stood by their lockers like men and took accountability for their part in the loss. Soriano can't say the same."

Houston, we have a problem. Rafael Soriano's bad reputation has reared its ugly head. Soriano, who was not welll-liked during his tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays, showed signs of this reputation during Spring Training, when, unbeknownst to Joe Girardi and the rest of the coaching staff, he decided that he wasn't going to face AL East teams until the season started.  Shortly thereafter, again unbeknownst to Girardi and the staff, he declared himself ready for the season.

Now we have this latest development. Can the Yankees nip things in the bud to prevent further problems? Or is this a disaster in the making? We shall see.

Looking Back: The Tigers Series

The 2011 Yankees appear to be off to a good start after taking 2 out of 3 in their opening series against the Detroit Tigers.  Here are my thoughts on the series:

Highlights
1. The Yankee offense was in mid-season form. Nine home-runs were hit, including three by notoriously slow starter Mark Teixeira. Seeing all the balls leave the park this weekend made me think back to 2009, the first year of the new Stadium. I wondered if we were going to have that "problem" again in 2011, until I heard home-run totals were up all over the Majors this weekend. There also was baserunning, including a stolen base by catcher Russell Martin!  Manager Joe Girardi has said that the team will be running more this season.  I like the versatility this will add to the team.

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Opening Day: An Old Friend

I watched ESPN's "Mike and Mike" this morning and heard Mike Greenberg liken the return of baseball to seeing an old friend that you haven't seen in a long time. He hit the nail right on the head. That is exactly how I felt yesterday watching the Yankees play the Tigers on Opening Day.

It was so nice to see all the familiar sights and sounds again, among them: CC Sabathia acting like the ace that he is, keeping his team in the game; Curtis Granderson homering for the third straight Opening Day; Mark Teixeira defying the early season odds by hitting a three-run homer (granted, not as familiar a sight and sound); the voices of Michael Kay and Ken Singleton on YES; and, of course, Mariano Rivera closing things out in the ninth inning.

I know, it was only one game. Sabathia could tank. Granderson could follow yesterday's performance the same way he did last year: with a prolonged slump. Teixeira still could have a poor April. Kay and Singleton will probably get on my nerves at some point. And Mariano Rivera will remind us that he is human after all.

Still, Opening Day is Opening Day. Full of pageantry and promise, celebration and cheers. A wonderful day for a wonderful sport.