Tuesday, June 09, 2009

AROUND THE HORN

***HOMER HEAVEN IN NEW YORK?***
All this talk of the 'Yankee Stadium Jet Stream' is getting annoying. Have there been a lot of homers hit there? Yes, but consider some factors. The distances are the same as the old stadium, but the Yanks have added a couple of left-handed power hitters in Teixeira and Swisher. Posada has taken up hitting the way he did 2 years ago, before he was lost for the 2008 season with injuries. Of the four homers hit last night, 3 were by left-handed hitters, the 4th by Jeter, who gets 80% of his hits (and homers) to right field anyway. These things usually even out, so let's see what it looks like in September.

***HOMER HEAVEN IN CHICAGO?***
Phil Rizzuto used to be accused of being a "homer" when announcing the Yankee games, but he'd look like he was playing Devil's Advocate next to the White Sox announcers. They don't announce the score, they say, "After 7 innings, we're down a run." (and it stayed that way) It's always "We," as in, "We have to get out of this inning and let our offense take over." (It didn't) I especially liked, "With his short swing, he's a good fastball hitter. A REALLY good fastball hitter. Maybe the best in the League." Sure enough, next pitch, fastball, swish, strike three. "...and, he's out." Down one run in the bottom of the 9th, one out, one on, and a batter hits a ground ball. Before the 2nd baseman even throws to first to complete the double play, "Aw, game over." Then, silence. At first it's annoying, then it becomes funny.

***HOMER HEAVEN IN TEXAS?***
Texas leads the Majors in home runs, but they just lost their best hitter, Josh Hamilton, for 6 to 8 weeks with an abdominal muscle tear. That may slow them down a bit.

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