Friday, September 02, 2011

IT'S NEVER EASY

Another four-plus hour marathon that didn't end until Mariano Rivera painted the outside corner on Adrian Gonzales with the bases loaded in the ninth last night (or was it this morning?). This is what happens when these two teams get together, displaying the kind of patience at the plate that bores everyone except Yankee and Red Sox fans. They are both so successful with this kind of strategy, that you wonder why other teams haven't adopted it. No one will swing at pitches that aren't strikes. In fact, they won't swing at pitches they don't THINK are strikes. That's why Gonzales is still standing at home plate as you read this, hoping the umpire will reappear and change his mind.

AJ Burnett made another one of his "change in mechanics," that will, of course, be effective for only one game. He still won't pitch inside, especially to a team that definitely NEEDS inside pitches - ones that leave little black and blue marks on hitters. Why is it that only CC Sabathia seems willing to punish Boston hitters when the Sox pitchers use the Yankees as dart boards?

Jesus Montero made his ML debut last night and seemed okay, but I did notice one flaw: he sometimes turns his head to the left when swinging at pitches. Not every time, but enough times that I noticed it. We'll see if Kevin Long thinks this should be corrected.

The bench can be a very lonely place when you pull a bonehead play, like not knowing how many outs there are. It's happened before and it usually makes the highlight reels, but Swisher won't like it if this shows up on ESPN's Top Ten.

I really get annoyed when Michael Kay and company go on and on, second-guessing a decision that Girardi makes. If Nunez had gotten a hit instead of hitting into a double play, they probably wouldn't have made a big deal out of the decision. Probably wasn't the best thing, but sometimes you just have to go with your hunches.

If Teixeira is hurt bad enough, or even if he isn't, the Yanks should bring up Jorge Vasquez from Scranton. With all the hoopla surrounding Montero, Jorge's stats have gotten lost. He hit only .260 this year, but he had 31 homers and 89 RBIs, compared to Montero, whose stats weren't nearly as impressive (.280 average, 18 homers and 69 RBIs).

As if there wasn't enough drama in the NY-Boston series, Michael Kay kept describing this game as a "...battle for first place." Important as being tied in the lost column is, the papers will still show the Sox ahead by a half-game this morning. The last three games of the series will be in New York.

CP-

No comments: