There are important things going on in MLB these days. The trade deadline is almost here, pennant races are heating up, and Ramiro Pena is dancing. Well, actually, as Yankee fans know, he's recovering from an emergency appendectomy. But I was surfing around on YouTube this morning and found him dancing up a storm, twice in fact. In the first video he is dancing with a mascot on a baseball diamond, probably in Mexcio. It's absolutely hilarious. Take a look:
Tell me you didn't crack up when the mascot started slapping him on the backside!
The other video I found wasn't so much hilarious as it was joyous. He is shown in this one dancing at his own wedding with his beautiful bride, Anahi:
There's also a video of him being photographed with Anahi on the day of the nuptials, presumably in his hometown in Mexico.
The wedding videos were posted in December 2010 so, it appears that Ramiro is a newlywed. Congratulations to the happy couple and, get well soon, Nino.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Ramiro Pena Dances With The Stars (Well Sort Of) (VIDEOS)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Hideki Irabu: Forever A Part Of The Yankees Family
When I first heard the news today of Hideki Irabu's passing, one of the first things that came to mind was a question: Will the Yankees hold a moment of silence for him before tomorrow's game at the Stadium?
As every Yankee fan knows, Irabu's tenure with the team was an unsuccessful one, so much so that, when he left, he was forgotten quicker than you could say sayonara. He was rarely mentioned by the Yankees. It was almost as if he never existed. So I was a bit surprised when I saw the statement the Yankees released earlier today, expressing their sadness over his death. I was particularly touched by one sentence in the statement:
"Every player that wears the Pinstripes is forever a part of the Yankees family....
That is a beautiful thing to say. If it was sincere, and I think that it was, Irabu will get his moment of silence tomorrow night. If I am home and if they show it on TV, I will pause and do my own reflection of the man. I will remember that slow windup of his, that delivery, and that splitter which, on a good day (and there weren't many of those), made him look like one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Goodbye, Irabu, and rest in peace.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sadness and Anger: The New York Times Kei Igawa Article
Remember Kei Igawa? He was the Japanese lefty the Yankees signed back in 2007, who had a very brief, disastrous tenure with them before being banished, first to triple A and then to double A. The other day the New York Times published an article about Igawa, a very informative piece about what he has been doing since his last Major League appearance in 2008.
The article paints a truly sad picture of Igawa, playing out his big money contract in the minor leagues, refusing to accept "trades" back to Japan, still hoping against hope that he will get another chance in the Majors. The further I read through the article the more sorry I felt for Igawa. I also felt another emotion, but not towards Igawa. The other emotion I felt was anger, and it was at the New York Yankees, specifically at GM Brian Cashman.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Stay Cool, Yankee Fans
I'm hot. No, I don't mean sexy. I don't mean beautiful. I just mean HOT! It's going to be 100 degrees here in New York City today and, without air conditioning in my apartment or on my job I am roasting.
Oh, yeah. I forgot. This is a baseball blog, not a weather blog.
Ah, who cares?
I keep imagining the late Yankees PA announcer Bob Sheppard saying the following:
"Your attention please, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to the Dog Days of Summer!"
I've been told it's all a state of mind. Think cool. Okay. Looking at pictures like this should help:
Monday, July 18, 2011
Yankees Split With Toronto Adds Up To 10 The Hard Way
More often than not the Yankees usually open the second half of the baseball season with a win. That didn't happen this year, as they lost the first two games of a four-game series in Toronto. Then, as YES Network announcer Ken Singleton likes to say, they split the series "the hard way," by wining the last two games. Singleton also likes to say the Yankees have won a series the series the hard way when they lose the first game and win the remaining games.
Singleton doesn't work every Yankee game. In fact, I only remember hearing him say this on one other occasion this season. However, yesterday's win got me to thinking. It seemed to me that the Yankees have won or split series the hard way many times this season. I decided to do a little research to find out exactly how often this has occured.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Derek Jeter and All Star Game Ratings
The question comes up every year: How do you improve All Star Game ratings? I've heard a lot of ideas. Some advocate moving the game to Wednesday in order to give aces who pitched on the Sunday before a chance to play in the game. Others want to drop the mandate that every team has to be represented. One person actually waved the white flag, saying the game should be done away with. Then there is the argument that it should be mandatory for all players voted in by the fans to show up at the game.
That brings me to Derek Jeter.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Derek Jeter Gets His 3,000th Hit (And I Didn't Miss It)
The bad thing about sports milestones is that, as a fan, there is always the chance that you could miss seeing them for one reason or another. Work might get in the way, you may not have cable TV, you could be sick or, as the mother and sister of a certain Yankees Captain experienced, you have to go to a baby's christening.
In the months leading up to Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit, I was very afraid that I was going to miss seeing him reach this magical milestone. Because of work, if the Yankees are at home and/or playing a team in the Eastern Time Zone I usually miss the first inning. I was beside myself. I just knew Jeter would get his 3,000th hit in the first inning of some game while I was walking home from work. I hoped and prayed for it to happen on a Saturday or a Sunday.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
After Rays Nix Doubleheader, A Recollection Of A September 2009 Incident
Last night's rain out of the Rays-Yankees game had me really hot under the collar. Well, not the rain out itself, but the refusal by the Rays to play a doubleheader today. A doubleheader today would have given Derek Jeter more opportunities to get his 3,000th career hit at home.
It was the Rays right, of course. Visiting teams have the last word in such situations. The Rays say they are a banged up team and, therefore, a doubleheader wouldn't work for them right now. They would rather make the game up in September when they'll have the luxury of an expanded roster.
The decision makes sense, but I wonder how much of that decision was just wanting to give Derek Jeter fewer opportunities to reach that coveted milestone against them. After what happened in September 2009 with Mark Teixeira I wouldn't put it past them.
Monday, July 4, 2011
The 2011 AL All-Star Selections: Ron Washington Shows Off His Inner Joe Torre
Like most members of Yankees Universe, I was offended when I learned that CC Sabathia had not been named to the 2011 AL All-Star Team. Sabathia is 11-4 with an ERA just a tick above 3.00. How could he not be selected?
The Yankees already have six players on the team (Cano, Jeter, A-Rod, Granderson, Martin and Rivera). I'm sure that was a big factor in manager Ron Washington's decision not to choose Sabathia. But, since Sabathia's turn in the Yankee rotation would have made it impossible for him to pitch in the All-Star Game, Washington could have chosen Sabathia and then replaced him with his own guy, CJ Wilson. That would have been the respectful thing to do. Instead, Washington snubbed Sabathia and chose Wilson outright. Washington is wrong here.
Or, is he? Remember Joe Torre? He did things like this all the time during the Yankees recent championship years. I don't remember any Yankee fans complaining back then. When you win you can do whatever you want.
Have fun, Ron. Just don't forget that the game counts. (Can we overturn that silly rule, already?)
The End Of The Subway Series: A Lost Game & A Lost Tweet
I had my tweet all ready:
"Sweep!" #Yankees #SubwaySeries."
I couldn't wait to hit "send." The only thing left was for Mariano Rivera to get that final strike. He never got it. Instead, the Mets tied game three of the final round of the Subway Series. One inning and two Ramiro Pena errors later, Scott Hairston scored the winning run and the Mets won the game 3-2.
So I was reduced to tweeting:
"It almost feels like the #Yankees lost this #SubwaySeries."
I couldn't take solace in the fact that the Yankees won the series. All I could think about was this loss and the bitter taste it left in my mouth. Kerel Cooper of the fantastic Mets video blog On The Black tried to make feel better (I think) by tweeting this at me:
"@BernadetPasley: Mets needed this one more than you guys did."
It didn't work. I still felt bad and I still do.
Well, at least Interleague Play is over with for the season. It seemed to go on a lot longer this year than in previous years. Now, on to Cleveland and the return of The Captain. Six more hits to 3,000. Whoo hoo!
Friday, July 1, 2011
After Two Years, My CC Sabathia Mea Culpa
As I watched CC Sabathia strike out 13 Milwaukee Brewers in yesterday's 5-0 Yankee win, I couldn't help thinking back to late Summer 2008 when Sabathia was a Brewer. He had a monumental half season for them, going 11-2, throwing an insane amount of pitches and pitching on three days rest in his final three starts, catapulting Milwaukee into the playoffs. The man was an absolute beast. Then the beast became a free agent and I became afraid.
I didn't want the Yankees to sign CC Sabathia. I was dead-set against it. Here is what I wrote on this blog on November 4, 2008:
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