Results tagged ‘ White Sox ’
Hahaha!…I Love It!…
It was in the Wall Street Journal so it must be true!…
Ask my friend Julia who the most hated team in baseball is and I’m sure she will point towards the Bronx. Sorry Julia! According to the Wall Street Journal, the Cleveland Indians are the most hated team followed closely by…the Boston Red Sox!
The Yankees may have finished fifth on the list (created by Nielsen Co. using an Internet algorithm), but they were better than the Red Sox (of course!) and that’s all that really matters! The Boston Red Sox, more despised than the New York Yankees. Ah, what a great feeling! Just sayin’… J
Nice recovery by the Yankees in Baltimore. After dropping the first game of the series in pathetic fashion, they rebounded to take the final two games by scores of 8-3 and 4-0, respectively.
In the first win, the Yankees rode a season high 15 hits to victory. CC Sabathia was off his game somewhat as he gave up 11 hits in 7 2/3 innings, but he only allowed 3 runs.
Mark Theiler/EPA
Robinson Cano, off to a blazing start this season, homered in the third. Like many people, I felt that this was going to be a huge year for Cano, particularly moving up to 5th in the batting order behind Alex Rodriguez. So far, he has not disappointed.
Mike Ricigliano/Baltimore Sun
The game wasn’t all smiles as the Yankees did lose catcher Jorge Posada in the second inning with a right knee contusion after he was hit by a pitch. He won’t miss much time but he’ll be sore for a few days.
Burton/AP
Tonight, the Yankees were led by the brilliant pitching of A.J. Burnett and the continued hot hitting of Robinson Cano. Cano, with an AL-leading batting average of .407, hit his 7th and 8th home runs of the season in the fourth and eighth innings. With Cano’s scorching bat, it’s too bad that A-Rod and Mark Teixeira aren’t hitting at the plate. When they get going, the Yankees are going to be very hard to stop. Sorry Julia!
Mark Theiler/EPA
After Burnett left (8 innings, 3 hits, no runs, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts, with only one base runner getting past second base), the great Mariano Rivera finished up in a non-save opportunity.
It was a long road trip that saw the Yankees’ series win streak snapped in Anaheim, but they finished strong with the series win in Baltimore and an overall winning record (5-4). Now, if somebody could just beat the Tampa Bay Rays.
James Borchuck/St. Petersburg Times
The Yankees head back to the Bronx to face the Chicago White Sox in a weekend series. Hopefully, Javier Vazquez will get going against his former teammates. It’s time for him to get the Yankee fans behind him, and start pitching like he is capable of.
Off-topic alert!
It is no secret that I was disappointed the Minnesota Vikings passed on a quarterback of the future in the recent NFL Draft (when they could have selected Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy). They did draft a QB in the sixth round (UAB’s Joe Webb) but he is targeted for a position switch to wide receiver. They signed undrafted free agent QB R.J. Archer of William & Mary, but the most intriguing player is QB Ryan Perrilloux. Ryan has been given a tryout during this weekend’s mini-camp. He was highly touted coming out of high school in 2005. He was considered the top prospect at the position, along with current New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez. He went to LSU, where he played behind Oakland Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell. Off-the-field transgressions and violation of team rules led to his suspension and subsequent ouster from the school. He transferred to Jacksonville State where he had a largely unnoticed but successful career.
Todd Kirkland/Icon SMI
I don’t know what happened at LSU, but Ryan appears to have learned from the errors in his past. I do believe in character and attitude first, but he deserves a second chance assuming that he truly has “righted the ship”. He shares an agent (Bus Cook) with Vikings QB Brett Favre, which may have led to the tryout with the Vikings. He has also been seen practicing with Favre this off-season. I wish Ryan the very best in his tryout and I hope to see both him and Favre on the field for the Vikings this fall.
I hope everyone has a super fantastic weekend…including Ryan! 
–Scott
Yes, Ozzie, It Was ‘Very Nice’…
A “very nice” weekend…
Asked about the weekend in New York City following the three game sweep by the Yankees, Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen would only say that Yankee Stadium is a very nice ballpark and that they had stayed in a very nice hotel. Very nice, if I say so myself! 
Kathy Willens/AP
I doubt it was too much fun to be on the White Sox’ plane as they flew to Minneapolis following Sunday’s game. The trip to Boston and New York was not a fun experience for the White Sox, who were once considered play-off contenders.
Paul J. Bereswill/AP
Mathematically, the White Sox are still in it as they are only 6 games behind the Detroit Tigers. However, the past week, with only 1 win in 7 games against Boston and New York, showed that they are pretenders at this point.
Kathy Willens/AP
It was good to see the Yankees complete the three-game sweep, particularly considering the disappointment o f the prior series they lost to the Texas Rangers. As it stands, the Yankees need every victory because the Boston Red Sox just keep on winning. The Yankees’ lead in the AL East remains at 6 games. Unlike Chicago, Boston does have the ability to win the division so the Yankees need to keep winning to stay ahead.
Winslow Townson/AP
Yesterday’s one-hit shutout in the Yankees’ 10-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox was very satisfying. Sergio Mitre was pitching a great game, his finest in pinstripes, but he suffered a forearm contusion off a liner hit by A.J. Pierzynski in the 7th inning and departed the game. Chad Gaudin closed out the one-hit masterpiece. My biggest fear is that Mitre’s gem came at the last opportunity for the Yankees to secure a reliable #5 starter for September. If Mitre’s performance causes the Yankees to end their quest for an upgrade and he reverts to his usual mediocre ways, it will be a frustrating September.
Paul J. Bereswill/AP
I think it is important for the Yankees to play for home field advantage in the play-offs, and that’s why I am so concerned about the #5 spot in the rotation. I agree that by the time the play-offs start, the #5 starter becomes a long man out of the pen. But given the Yankees’ struggles against the Los Angeles Angels, they need every advantage they can get between now and when they’ll have to face their nemesis with the chips on the line. I was surprised that the Tampa Bay Rays traded Scott Kazmir, but it was tough to see him go to the Angels. The Yankees have not done well against Kazmir and he solidifies the Angels’ rotation. The Yankees were able to reverse their fortunes against the Red Sox; I only hope they’ll be able to do the same with the Angels when the time comes.
Sunday, “Joba Rules 2.0″ were in effect so it was an abbreviated start for Joba Chamberlain who only went 3 innings (2 runs on 4 hits). Alfredo Aceves, in the role perfectly suited for him, relieved Chamberlain and picked up his 9th win of the season. The game had been tight until the 7th inning when the Yankees scored 5 runs (primarily on the strength of Mark Teixeira’s three-run homer, his 32nd of the season). Teixeira, in picking up his 101st RBI of the season, now has hit 30 home runs and 100 RBI’s for the sixth consecutive season.
Kathy Willens/AP
The game also saw Johnny Damon hit the 200th home run at the new Yankee Stadium since it opened in April.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images
The Yankees now head to Baltimore. The Orioles have generally played very well against the Yankees, so it should be a challenging series. Meanwhile, their chief rival heads to Tampa for a three-game series against the Rays. Normally, I’d like the Rays’ chances in the match-up, but I have to believe that for a team still in contention, the trade of Scott Kazmir had t be somewhat demoralizing. Therefore, the Red Sox are probably getting to Tampa at just the right time…not to mention that they’ve been on fire since they played the Yankees earlier this month. The beginning of September should be interesting in the AL East…well, at least for the Yankees and Red Sox…
Standings as of 8/30/09:
|
TEAM |
W |
L |
% |
GB |
|
Yankees |
82 |
48 |
.631 |
— |
|
Red Sox |
76 |
54 |
.585 |
6.0 |
|
Rays |
70 |
59 |
.543 |
11.5 |
|
Blue Jays |
58 |
70 |
.453 |
23.0 |
|
Orioles |
54 |
77 |
.412 |
28.5 |
I saw that Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassell was hurt this weekend. I know the Chiefs are awaiting tests to determine the extent of the injury, but hopefully, the news will be good and he’ll return soon. Even though he didn’t end up with the Vikings, I had been looking forward to see if Cassell could continue his success in Kansas City.
The Kansas City Star
I was very surprised that the New England Patriots have chosen to cut backup QB Kevin O’Connell. Granted, I am not too close to the scene so I don’t know all the details, but I hope the Pats have a plan for a safety net behind Tom Brady. I am sure they’ll be scouring the waiver wire and calling other teams looking for possible replacements. The Pats do need more than Andrew Walter or Brian Hoyer should Brady go down for any extended period of time. Maybe the Pats should have opted for Michael Vick…
Getty Images North America
I am anxious to see what Brett Favre is able to do when he plays the first half against the Houston Texans in tomorrow night’s exhibition game. Last week, he was outplayed by Tavaris Jackson as he only went 1-for-4 for 4 yards. I am sure that the word “schism” will be heard more than once on the telecast Monday night.
Tuesday night, I will be going to my first Nickelback concert. They’re my favorite band, and I am excited to finally see them in person. Over the years, I’ve used different lyrics as a mantra, and these are some of my favorite lines from the song, If Today Was Your Last Day…
So do whatever it takes
‘Cause you can’t rewind a moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way
‘Cause the hands of time are never on your side
Hopefully, Tuesday night will find the Yankees 7 ½ games up on the Red Sox! J
–Scott
Remembrance of a Legend…
Where were you 30 years ago today?
Getty Images
Well, many of you probably weren’t even born yet. But those of us who were most likely will remember August 2, 1979…particularly Yankees fans. The day saw the untimely demise of #15, the Yankee Captain, Thurman Munson.
As a teenage Yankees fan, Thurman had been my hero. While I have always credited Jim “Catfish” Hunter and the legend of Lou Gehrig as the primary reasons I became a Yankees fan despite growing up in the Midwest, it was the tough and tenacious Munson that quickly became my favorite player.
Thurman was his own man and he wouldn’t let anyone push him around. Not George Steinbrenner, not Billy Martin, not Reggie Jackson, not Carlton Fisk. I will always remember the 1976 World Series…not for the series sweep at the hands of the Big Red Machine but how Thurman wouldn’t quit. He hit .529 in the series, and at one point, had six consecutive hits. His performance laid the foundation for the championship years of 1977 and 1978.
I had known about Thurman’s interest in airplanes, and how he viewed it as a way to reach his family in Ohio more often. Selfishly, I was hopeful that he’d never leave the Yankees in the late 70′s/early 80′s, but I had become increasingly fearful that he would leave at the end of his contract to sign with the Cleveland Indians (to be closer to his home). Unfortunately, I never saw that day come and will never know if Thurman would have truly left or if he would have stayed to finish his career in pinstripes.
On August 2, 1979, I was in high school and employed by a local grocery store in a small Iowa town. I was working when one of our customers told me that they had just heard Thurman Munson was killed in an airplane crash. I vividly recall just standing there with a blank look of disbelief frozen on my face. My hero had just died…
It is a loss that I personally will never forget. I think about Thurman every August 2nd, and I see his spirit continue to thrive in present day Yankees like Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera.
Doug Kanter/AFP/Getty Images
Today was a day to remember Thurman and we continue to owe him a debt of gratitude for the way he wore pinstripes. Thanks for the tremendous memories, Thurman. You are still my hero…
For a great article about Thurman Munson, please read Moss Klein’s article in The Star Ledger, entitled Catcher Thurman Munson, The Captain, was the Heart and Soul of the NY Yankees. It’s an excellent read.
YANKEES WIN…FINALLY…
The Yankees were able to beat the Chicago White Sox today, 8-5, to avoid being swept in the four game series which began last Thursday.
Mike Carlson/AP
Melky Cabrera became the first Yankee since Tony Fernandez in 1995 to hit for the cycle. Melky went 4-for-5 with 4 RBI’s and 2 runs scored. He staked the Yanks to an early lead with a three-run homer in the second inning.
Tannen Maury/EPA
In the 9th, needing only a tripe, Melky hit a liner off the right field wall. Trying to do his best impression of Brett Gardner, Melky sped around the bases and just beat the relay throw to third for his first triple of the season and completed the cycle.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
It wasn’t a great game for CC Sabathia (perhaps he was still disappointed that his buddy, Victor Martinez, now calls Fenway Park home), however, he gutted it out and stayed in the game into the 8th inning. Mark Buehrle, fresh off a perfect game just two starts ago, was the loser.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
With the win, the Yankees remain a ½ game ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. The Red Sox throttled the Baltimore Orioles today, 18-10.
Nick Wass/AP
Hey Julia, just 4 more days until the showdown resumes. From what I can tell, the Yankees have finally figured out a way to beat a team called the Sox! Life is good!
With today’s game, Derek Jeter has now played in 2084 games, which ties Babe Ruth for fourth place on the list of most games played with the Yankees.
AP file
A DAY IN SAN FRANCISCO
My wife and I attended the San Francisco Giants game against the Philadelphia Phillies today at AT&T Park. It was a beautiful day for a game. The weather forecast was cloudy and 59 degrees, however, after early cloudiness, it was all sunny skies and 66 degrees. The Giants prevailed, 7-3, with Barry Zito getting the win over Cole Hamels.
AT&T Park is one of my favorite ballparks, and today was definitely a treat…
Okay, I did have to make sure that I kept an eye on a certain American League score…
…but I managed to watch the Giants win a great game!
Late in the game, a Dodgers fan walked up the stairs to leave the game. The crowd booed and hissed unmercifully while the Dodgers fan just soaked it all in and waved his Dodgers cap with pride. After the Dodgers fan had exited, a Boston Red Sox fan made the same exit except this time, no one said anything at all. The Red Sox fan was ignored as he quietly left the stadium. Ah, I love being back in the Bay Area…
–Scott
Santa Didn’t Bring Any Presents…
A disappointing trade deadline day…
Leading up to the trade deadline, I felt that the Yankees needed to do something to plug the hole in the rotation. As great as it was to think about Roy Halladay in pinstripes, I was realistic in my thinking that Jarrod Washburn would have been a good fit.
Steve Nesius/AP
Yankee interest in Washburn has been rumored for several years so it seemed liked he was destined for the Bronx. Apparently, the Seattle Mariners desired center field prospect Austin Jackson in return and it was a deal-killer. I agree with the decision, as I would have not given up Ajax either, but it was tough to see Washburn go to the Detroit Tigers for a couple of minor league pitchers that I’ve never heard of.
I know that GM Brian Cashman feels that there will be quality pitchers who slip through waivers in August because teams will be fearful of incurring additional salaries. But it’s not like Roy Halladay will clear waivers. The quality of the available talent will be limited, and a good fit for the Yankees will be even narrower.
Of course, on Deadline Day, the Yankees #5 starter, Sergio Mitre, gets pummeled in Chicago and lasts only three innings in a 10-5 loss to the White Sox. This only added salt to the wound of the day’s earlier inactivity. Meanwhile, the Boston Red Sox were very active and acquired the Cleveland Indians’ Victor Martinez. Martinez, a good friend of CC Sabathia, was a solid pickup for Boston. I didn’t fully understand the trade of recently acquired Adam LaRoche to Atlanta for first baseman Casey Kotchman. It was mentioned that LaRoche was no longer a fit with the addition of Martinez, but I do not know what Kotchman brings that LaRoche didn’t other than an additional year on his contract. I guess GM Theo Epstein decided that if he couldn’t have Mark Teixeira, he’d take the guy who was once trade for Tex. Seriously, I wonder if the Kotchman trade is a precursor to another deal this month. Knowing Theo, there is a method to the madness and of course that concerns me…
The Yankees have now dropped two straight games to the White Sox, which has allowed the Boston Red Sox to close the gap to 1 ½ games in the AL East.
The Yankees did pick up one player yesterday, when they found a centerfield solution in Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Kirby Lee/US Presswire
To acquire Hairston from the Cincinnati Reds, the Yanks gave up minor league catching prospect Chase Weems. Hairston will take the super utility role that is currently occupied by Cody Ransom upon Brett Gardner’s return from the DL. Hairston has joined the Yankees in Chicago, and is starting in left field. It is ironic that his first game will be against his father’s long-time team.
I saw a quote where Brian Cashman mentioned that Hairston is a better version of Clay Bellinger. Somehow it’s hard to get enthused about that, but I will admit that Bellinger did play in a World Series so perhaps there’s a silver lining to the Hairston pickup…
.
Hopefully, the Yankees will get back on track today. A.J. Burnett will be on the hill and he has proven to be the cure for stopping Yankee losing streaks so far this season.
As for the Yankees #5 rotation spot, the sooner the Yankees replace Mitre, the better. Unfortunately, the only in-house possibility appears to be…yikes!…Kei Igawa. So, I trust that Brian Cashman knows what he is doing, and he’ll find a solution sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, the fate of the AL East hangs in the balance. No worries…
Poor Shelley Duncan. He has had a very good season for the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees. He had started to wonder if he’d ever return to the big leagues, and was very excited when the Yanks finally called yesterday. Today, he was tapped on the shoulder and told to head back to Scranton-Wilkes Barre to make room for Hairston. I feel bad for Shelley as he has definitely deserved an opportunity. Hopefully, he will find his way back soon.
Nick Laham/Getty Images
Well, it is almost time for Julia and I to resume our battle when the Yankees and Red Sox resume their rivalry on Thursday for a four-game set. We are still working out the terms of latest wager and are open to any suggestions. But I feel that the Yankees are much improved and will be ready to end the eight game skid against the Red Sox. I may be down, but I am definitely not out. The rotation has lined up for Joba Chamberlain, A.J. Burnett, CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte in the Boston series. Hey Julia, Game On!
Boston Herald
Great autograph of Shelley Duncan!
–Scott
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