Tagged: Francisco Cervelli
Jesus Is Just Alright With Me!
That was a Byrds reference in case anyone cares.
But that’s beside the point. Point is, Jesus Montero is a friggin beast. And I’m still in disbelief about everything.
Jesus Montero has given me so much hope since I heard about him what seems like many years ago. Way back at the beginning of the season, when everyone was counting the Yankees out and saying there was no possible way they could win, because the Red Sox were so amazing, I thought to myself, “That’s okay, I don’t have to win every year. We Yankees fans still have a lot to look forward to. If I get the chance to see Montero play this year, no matter what, I will consider this season worthwhile.”
God. I mean Jesus…
IT’S THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!
Currently, the Yankees have a 2.5 lead over those anointed champion Red Sox, which is relatively roomy considering how tight this division has been all season long. They have had possession of first and lost it many times this season…but with every game that passes, there is less and less time for the standings to change.
Not only are the Yankees winning – but now Montero is part of it! And I truly believe he is the real-deal.
Jesus Montero stole the show yesterday by hitting his first 2 homers in the Bigs. They were both of the opposite field variety, and they both earned him curtain-calls. I found that somewhat surprising, and also a little relieving. I thought maaaybee I was the only one who was so excited about the kid, and when he didn’t get a hit in his first game, I thought maaaybee my excitement was silly, but then when he had that huge game yesterday, all the fans embraced him, so now I don’t feel stupid for being his biggest fan already.
I’m tempted to go buy myself a “Montero #63” Yankees jersey, but I think his number might change soon. He’s too good to be #63 for much longer. But I’ve learned the hard way about those player jerseys…all of mine are out-of-date: I have Cano as #22, Melky Cabrera as #28 (lol), and Francisco Cervelli as #29. I had a Gary Sheffield #11 jersey, but my Grandma took off the lettering, so now it’s a #11 shirt WITHOUT a name. Ohh yeah.
But yeah, back to that Jesus Montero guy….okay not gonna lie, I really like him. And those of you that know me know what that means. He’s only 21….I’m 18, there’s hope. He’s soooo adorable.
Fangirl commentary needs to be put on hold…I’m sorry.
So yeah, Jesus Montero. In all seriousness, Jesus Montero, in the short time he has been with the team, has made me so happy. He has given me that desire to watch games again with that intensity that I can’t even describe. He’s helping us now, and I’m confident that he’ll be here for the future. If Brian Cashman didn’t move him yet – and he has had his fair share of golden opportunities to do so – I don’t think he’ll move him now. Not when he gave us a glimpse of why he was meant to be a Yankee. His swing is perfect for Yankee Stadium. That short porch in right was BUILT for him. The fans already adore the kid, hence the curtain calls. And hey, I know it’s a small sample, but he’s hitting .385 and has shown awesome power. Every once in a while, a player really does live up to his expectations. Can Montero be one of those guys?
I definitely think so.
I hope the Yankees continue to keep on plugging him into the lineup. Jesus Montero in the BOTTOM THIRD of the lineup? That’s quite a force. They should use him every day, because after all: they have to win, and they have to put their best guys out there. Right now, I think Jesus Montero is a better designated hitter than Jorge Posada.
Even if he struggles, I say pencil him in there. Sure, he may worry about slumping, he may lose a little confidence – who cares about him losing trade value, he’s here to stay in my mind. Bottom line, Jesus Montero has spent 2 seasons in Triple-A. He can hit. The defense will come. Too much hope and excitement has been invested in the guy. The Yankees owe it to the fans to use him.
I can’ t wait to come home and watch the game tonight – and I hope Jesus Montero is playing.
GO YANKEES!
Yankees vs. Angels: Sec 201, Row 2, Seat 7
A Day I’ll Never Forget
I finally made it back out to Yankee Stadium! I saw my first game this year last Thursday, August 11. It was the rubber game of the series against the Angels. The Halos won the first, the Yanks won the second. I knew it was going to be a good game, and and all-around good day. But I didn’t think it’d be THIS good.
Some of you might know that aside from my blog here at MLBlogs, I write for the FanVsFan Network at my site Pinstripe Partisan. I love that site for a number of reasons, one of the main reasons being that the people who work there are amazing. One of the leaders of the site himself is a Yankees fan and a native New Yorker, and he was generous enough to give me not one, but TWO free tickets to this Yankees game. So not only did I have the time of my life, but I was able to experience the day with my older brother, who had not yet been to the new Yankee Stadium.
But he didn’t just give me tickets. He gave me tickets, that for me, were perfect. When I found out where they were, I couldn’t wait to go.
My brother and I took the train down to the Stadium. Bobby is just as much of a Yanks fan as I am, and he was dying to see the new Stadium. When he first caught a glimpse of it as we were walking towards it, he was in awe – so much that he called home and told my Mom: “Ahh, Mommy! It’s so beautiful, you have no idea…” While on the phone, he turned to me and demanded that I take a picture.
We got the the Stadium 2 hours before the game was scheduled to start. Our plan was to go to our seats as soon as possible and watch batting practice and possibly get autographs. When we got to our section, Bobby reminded me:
“Virginia, please don’t embarrass me.”
Why so concerned?
Our seats were two rows behind the Yankee bullpen. And it was a day game. After a night game. Which meant that some players would be resting. Which meant that some backups would be playing.
WHICH MEANT THAT I HAD A CHANCE TO BE TWO ROWS AWAY FROM FRANCISCO CERVELLI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can see now why he was worried about me.
The first Yankees we saw up-close-and-personal from our perch atop the bullpen wall was Freddy Garcia. He was getting some throwing in. Then Mike Harkey, the coolest bullpen coach ever, entered, and my brother and I (then the only people at the wall) yelled out, “Hi Hark!” AND HE WAVED!!! I thought my day was made. Oh, but there was more to come.
I was watching the hitters take BP, waiting for Cervelli to be done so he could come into the bullpen. BP was long, so my brother and I left for awhile to look around the Stadium, whose beauty was mesmerizing. When we got back to our seats, the wait wasn’t very long. Bobby pointed to a sexy looking man approaching from the dugout. I started to freak out.
“Virginia, you’re doing it.” he warned.
I managed to not explode. I let Francisco Cervelli approach. I captured his warm-up routine with about 50 pictures. Here are some personal favorites:
Before I knew it, he entered the bullpen. I was wearing my “Cervelli 29” shirt I bought last year at the Stadium. It was crowded at the bullpen wall now, but I figured, “It’s now or never.” And I was the only one in the ballpark that I knew of wearing his shirt. I was his ultimate fan. All these other idiots asking for his autograph didn’t really care about him. I didn’t want to harass him like the rest of them.
When he got close enough, I just yelled out, “Hey Francisco!!!! I’m wearing your shirt!”
Now I don’t know if he heard me, or if he saw the shirt when I turned around to show him. All I know, is that he waved at me, and I almost died. I’m lucky that I didn’t fall into the bullpen and die. I really am.
FRANCISCO CERVELLI WAVED TO ME. Holy Jesus. My life was then complete.
So he did more warm-ups, then when he exited the ‘pen, he waved again at us! Such a sweetie.
Oh yeah, then the GAME started. That was fun.
Bartolo Colon pitched a good game for the Yankees. I thought I was going to see Nova, but he pitched the night before. So when I heard it was Colon, I was happy. He was our first choice for a starter to see live!
The game was quiet at first, with no teams scoring through the first 4 innings. In the 5th, the Angels jumped out to a 2-0 lead on an Alberto Callaspo 2-run homer. That upset the sellout crowd, but they soon began to cheer when the fan who caught the ball threw it back.
In the bottom of the 6th, my cutie Curtis Granderson decided to give us something to smile about for real. After a Derek Jeter single, my GrandyMan homered to tie the game at 2! Then the next time the Yanks were on offense, big things happened, thanks to Mr. Robbie Cano. The bases were loaded after an Angel error, and Cano made them pay.
GRAND SLAM! Seeing that live was amazing. The ball jumped off Cano’s bat like I’ve seen no other. It got out of the park in a hurry, and Yankees fans went crazy. 6-2 lead!
*Note: Francisco Cervelli walked in that inning, and for some reason, Girardi called for Russell Martin to pinch run for him? I didn’t know why he did that. My Grandma said it was because a female fan was harassing Cervelli, and he couldn’t take it….wasn’t me!
Cory Wade made things messy in the 9th, so Mariano Rivera had to come in. Always a pleasure seeing him make his way to the mound.
We were all aware of Mo’s mishaps on the mound that week. We didn’t want to witness another one. And when Russell Branyan pinch hit, we were a little nervous. With 2 men on, Branyan homered…yikes. All of a sudden it was 6-5. I thought maybe that was all Mariano would allow.
Thank God I was right. We couldn’t afford to stick around for more innings – we had a train to catch! Luckily, Mo settled down and finished up the game. YANKEES WIN 6-5!
My brother didn’t want to leave. Once we got home, he said, “We need to go back.” He then proceeded into his room, and began looking up more Yankees tickets. I hope we can go again before college starts!
It was a day I’ll never forget, that’s for sure. How often can a girl say that her crush waved to her at close distance, and she didn’t die? I’m proud.
It was an amazing early 18th birthday present for me. My real birthday is tomorrow. I’ll enjoy my last day as a kid today.
Thanks again to Michael H. for that amazing day! You’re the best.
GO YANKEES!
Deadline Over And Done With!
A weekend series against the Orioles was a series I thought the Yankees had to win. It’s the kind of thing where you know your team is better, and they have to beat up on the bad teams. I’m always bad at predicting things, so I didn’t know what to think coming into this weekend. The doubleheader I thought would be tough, and the trade deadline I thought would be a distraction. I didn’t know if the Yanks would make any moves. I HATE the trade deadline, and I’m glad it’s over and done with.
Oh, and I’m glad the Yanks took 3 of 4 from the O’s.
After they lost the first game of the series, I was kind of annoyed. But they bounced back to win the next 3, winning the 4-game set the hard way.
After winning the 1st game of the doubleheader on Saturday by the score of 8-3, my Grandma said to me, “Ooh I hope they saved some runs for tonight’s game.”
Uhh…hahaha.
No worries, Grammy!
Let’s just say the Yankees got off to a historic start in Game 2:
Top of the first, 1 out. Curtis Granderson singles.
Looked harmless enough.
Mark Teixeira walks, Cano drives in a run with a single. 1-0 Yanks.
Okay.
Swisher knocked in a run via an Orioles error. 2-0.
Then things get a little crazy.
Andruw Jones RBI double, 3-0. Russell Martin RBI single, 4-0. Eduardo Nunez RBI single, 5-0. Then Brett Gardner got an infield single to load the bases.
Derek Jeter drove in 2 with a double, 7-0. This is when I started to feel a little bad. But it didn’t end there.
Mark Teixeira doubled in 2 runs, 9-0. Robinson Cano singled in one, 10-0. And Nick Swisher hit a 2-run bomb, making it 12-0.
12-0!!! In the first inning! That was the most runs the Yankees EVER scored in the first. Wow.
The Yankees went on to win that one 17-3. Although the offense was a huge pleasure, my favorite part of this game was seeing Ivan Nova again. I was beyond annoyed when they sent him down to make room for the stinky Phil Hughes. I mean, isn’t the idea to have the best players on the team? Nova was better than Hughes then, and he still is.
I was worried that the Yankees would do something stupid at the trade deadline. So while many may think that Yankees fans are upset about the inactivity at the deadline, I for one am extremely satisfied with this decision. So other contending teams made moves…so what? Overall, I’m very happy with the state of the Yankees. When I heard about the Ubaldo Jimenez rumors, I was scratching my head. The Rockies wanted prospects Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Jesus Montero, and my Ivan Nova? And the Yankees were considering doing that? No offense, but Ubaldo Jimenez just is not worth the entire Yankees farm system. I know you can’t give up nothing and expect something, but I really think that deal would’ve been ridiculous. And the Nova thing drew the line. Why trade for Jimenez when Nova is doing an amazing job? He, I think, can and has helped this team more than Jimenez ever could.
My brother told me this, so I don’t know if it’s true, but he heard that the Yankees and Rockies negotiations went sour after the Yanks replaced one of the guys the Rockies wanted with Phil Hughes. LOL. I don’t blame the Rockies – I’d be insulted by that, too. But then I heard from the YES Network that the Yankees didn’t want to make the deal after the Rockies refused to give Jimenez a physical. So whatever. Good luck to the Indians with him. I’d rather stick with my guys.
Speaking of my guys, I’m sure most people are aware of my unbridled admiration for Francisco Cervelli He’s a cutie. Well in today’s series finale, I witnessed a Francisco-First.
HE PLAYED SECOND BASE TODAYYYY!!!!!!!!
Ahh, yes. If only it wasn’t under these circumstances: Derek Jeter was hit in the hand (right middle finger, precisely), and eventually came out of the game. Eric Chavez (another sexy beast…probably the hottest Yankee) was playing 3rd, and Nunez was playing 2nd because Cano was the DH. So when Jeet eventually left the game, the defense was messy…so Nunez moved to short, and, instead of losing the DH in the 4th inning my moving Cano, they put my CERVELLI at 2nd base! I was going crazy. He actually fielded a grounder in the 6th and didn’t mess up! In fact, he looked pretty darn smooth over there, going for the lead runner instead of the sure out at first. He pivoted nicely and fired a strike to shortstop to get the out. Ahh, Cervelli…such a cutie.
Now that the trade deadline is over, I can breathe I sigh of relief. -SIGH- I don’t have to worry about my cuties leaving me for a player that I don’t even want. I love my boys, and it’s not easy for me to let go of any of them.
Even if the no-deals at the deadline mean we don’t win…I’m okay with that. Why jeopardize the bright future? It’s not like Ubaldo Jimenez is going to guarantee a championship anyways. I’m happy with this team we have now, and no matter what happens this year, I know Yankees fans have a lot to smile about.
GO YANKEES! Â I LOVE YOU GUYS!
I Should Make Lineups More Often!
So remember when I was complaining about the Yankees offense without A-Rod? It was really bad, they couldn’t hit, and I was frustrated, so I proposed my own lineup.
I’m convinced that someone from the Yankees is secretly reading my blog or stalking my facebook or something, because they’re listening to me about stuff!
In my last blog post, I said the Yankees should do something different to shake up the lineup, maybe to spark the offense and get something going. I strongly suggested that the top 3 should look like this:
#1 Brett Gardner
#2 Derek Jeter
#3 Curtis Granderson
I then said for Cano to be cleanup and Teix 5th, but last night the Yankees had Teix 4th and Cano 5th. It still worked out, so that was okay.
I wanted Swish 6th and Posada 7th, which the Yankees did. And because Martin had the night off, it was Nunez in the 8 hole with my sweet Cervelli batting 9th. It was pretty close to what I wanted, but I was just thrilled that they “listened” to me with the 1-2-3 spots.
Some people liked my lineup idea. Some people criticized my lineup, saying the Yanks would never do it. Well they did it, it was MARVELOUS, and they’re doing it again today, and I don’t blame them.
SCORING 17 RUNS IS SUCCESS. DON’T MESS WITH SUCCESS.
The Yankees were down 2-0 early because Phil Hughes still sucks, but I quickly forgot about Hughes’s suckiness once the Yankees bats came alive. They scored 5 runs in the 2nd, in which my 1-2-3 guys Gardy, Jeet, and Grandy knocked in 4 of the 5 runs.
The offense continued to explode in bunches. Nick Swisher’s 3-run homer made it 8-2, and later on Mark Teixeira hit a GRAND SLAM which made it 14-2. Clearly, rearranging the batting order did not mess with anyone’s rhythm last night.
Even though it looked like a blowout, I was not entirely confident that the Yanks would win, knowing that Phil Hughes was on the mound. I’m kind of frustrated with him. The Yankees should’ve included Hughes in the package for Roy Halladay way back when they had the chance. Now he’s losing value fast!
Hughes, despite having heavy run support, was not able to get through the 5 innings and earn himself a win. He didn’t deserve to get the win anyways. 7 runs in 4.1 innings is not win-worthy, and I don’t blame Girardi for taking him out. Once Hughes was out of the picture, I felt the game was locked up.
The bullpen did a pretty good job last night holding the game where it was. In the end, it was a 17-7 victory for my Yanks. I cannot explain how comforting it was. And I love having bragging rights. The offense had been struggling mightily, and once they adapted my lineup idea, the offense came alive.
I seriously should suggest things more often.
So Yankees, my birthday is in August, maybe you guys should send me some tickets? After all, I helped you win last night!
Worth a try, haha…
GO YANKS!!!
A Loss, But A Happy Night Nonetheless
Let the Games Begin!!!
Ahh I don’t even know where to begin. Once the clock struck one and I had the YES Network on, I felt right at home. That offseason that was so long felt like a thing of the past. That’s because it is! Ha! I still can’t believe it. I watched the Yankees today. And it wasn’t a Yankees Classic that I had seen a thousand times. It was LIVE ACTION! And boy, was it fun.
The opening ceremonies were lovely, the field was gorgeous, and Haley Swindal’s rendition of our national anthem was amazing. Christina Aguilara WHO? Before I knew it, the game was underway. Hearing Michael Kay and Ken Singleton’s voices made me shiver with excitement. Then I knew baseball was back. The Yankee announcers are as much a part of my family as the players are, and it felt great to hear them again.
I was so excited for the game to be underway that I forgot about the starting pitching situation. Then I remembered when I saw Bartolo Colon jog out onto the mound. I decided to be fair and not judge the guy – I mean it was his first time pitching for the Yanks, I didn’t need to hate on him just yet. I thought, “Okay, I’m not judging this guy. Maybe he really can be good and help my team.”
I tried. But as I focused on his jiggly belly, triple-chin, and heard he’s 5’10” 260 lbs, I couldn’t help but to exclaim, “WHY DID THEY GET THIS GUY? HE’S NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO PITCH!”
I even thought of a perfect lookalike for Colon:
They’re twins.
To be honest, I didn’t hate Bartolo Colon today. He may have been on the chubby side, but that’s okay – the Yankee pinstripes have a knack for making even the most homely look hotter. And today, Colon didn’t look as ugly as I had expected. In his two innings of work, Colon allowed just a run on two hits. But he did look pretty good. He’s no ace, but he proved to me today he knows what he’s doing. He CAN pitch. And for a fourth or fifth starter, he looks like he’d be fine.
Over at FanVsFan, another site I write for, my buddy Eric and I made a bet surrounding Joba Chamberlain. Eric thinks he will be good, and I think he’ll have another disappointing season. Naturally, I looked forward to seeing Joba’s outing today. He said he gained weight, but it didn’t look like Bartolo Colon weight – it looked solid. And his stuff looked as solid as I’ve seen it in awhile. Joba tossed a scoreless inning. You proved me wrong so far, Joba. Now just perform like that for the majority of the next 8 months or so, and I’ll make my apology official.
Another highlight of my afternoon was getting to see my darling sweet Francisco Cervelli behind and at the plate. I still have to get used to his new number, 17, and try to get over the fact that my precious shirt is outdated.
I didn’t have to be too sad for too long. My Cervelli looked as cute as ever today. And when he drove in the first Yankee run with his sharp double down the line, my customary Cervelli shrieks and smiles filled the room.
I also enjoyed seeing Mark Teixeira, who is known for his slow starts, crush a ball for an RBI triple. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for Teix.
Everyone who knows me knows I go absolutely bananas for rookies. I just adore them. When I hear people go, “Oh I hate Spring Training games…the regulars play like 2 innings, then it’s just a bunch of nobodies,” I am dumbfounded. I look forward to seeing the cute new guys every year.
Today I saw a bunch of cuties pitchers including David Phelps (#87), Hector Noesi (#74), Eric Wordekemper (#89), and Luis Ayala (#43). I was very impressed by fist baseman Jorge Vazquez. I remembered that name from last year’s Spring Training. I knew he was a big guy with a funny (in a cute way) looking face. And today, I got to see him shine. Vazquez went 2-3, with a MONSTER 2-run homer, and a single.
Another newbie who really impressed me today was Justin Maxwell, whom the Yanks acquired in a trade with the Nationals earlier in the offseason. He may be my rookie-of-choice this Spring. First of all, he’s kinda cute. He’s 6’5”, and can run. And to me, on the baseball field speed is just as, if not MORE sexy, than home runs. Maxwell made a lovely play in the field to end the 7th inning, and he singled in the 9th. I hope he does well. The Yanks have a few spots open on their bench, and I think Maxwell would be a nice fit.
Mmmm…Justin Maxwell lookin’ mighty fine…
This game was so much fun that I didn’t even realize or CARE that my Yankees lost. It’s Spring Training. It’s fun. Would I have liked for them to win? Of course, but I don’t want to be too picky.
Heck, to be honest, one of my favorite parts of this game was the sight of grass. I haven’t seen that stuff in awhile.
Soriano Starts Out On A Bad Note…
I was one of the Yankees fans who loved the Rafael Soriano signing. But suddenly, I’m not smiling as much. It probably sounds ridiculous to you, but I think I have a very good reason to be mad at newcomer Rafael Soriano. This picture broke my heart:
What’s wrong with that, you ask? Looks like an ordinary new player press conference…
If you know me, you should understand…
If you still don’t understand, I’ll give you a hint:
Look, it’s Cervelli!
Francisco Cervelli – #29.
Get why I’m enraged at Soriano yet?
WHY THE HECK DID HE TAKE CERVELLI’S NUMBER?!?!?!?!
I know what some might think, “Ooh it’s just a number…get over it.”
Just a number? No, it was just a number that belonged to my FAVORITE BASEBALL PLAYER. It was just a number that happens to be included in almost every single one of my passwords for every single thing. It was just a number that took me forever to find on the back of a Yankee’s shirt!
It was JUST A NUMBER that I spent $40 when I went to Yankee Stadium last July.
What is my sweet Francisco Cervelli, not to mention what am I, going to do now? I’m so upset about this…It’s going to be hard for Soriano to make this up to me.
Rafael Soriano better be really good or else I’m going to HATE him even more…
Close Call for Cervelli…
I really should have learned by now: every time my brother yells “Hey Virginia, come here!” to me to go see what he’s doing on the computer, it’s usually something I don’t want to see. Today was no different…
I really want to enjoy this day off from school. My brothers are both home, we are putting up the Christmas Tree later, it’s supposed to be a really great day. Now all I can think of is Cervelli…
My brother wanted to show me an article he found on the MLB Trade Rumors site:
Yankees, Five Others Interested In Russell Martin
The Yankees, who tried to trade for Russell Martin this week, are one of six teams interested in the 27-year-old free agent, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times reports that the Yankees nearly sent Francisco Cervelli to the Dodgers for Martin (Twitter links). In fact, the Yankees and Dodgers even exchanged medical records on Wednesday.
The Dodgers are nearing a deal with Rod Barajas, but they still have interest in re-signing Martin. Agent Matt Colleran says the Dodgers view his client differently than most teams do.
“They want to continue discussions with the idea that Russ could come back and catch, play second base and third and a little bit out of outfield to see if he likes something like that in the event he ever wants to transition from behind the plate,” Colleran said.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Royals, Rangers, Mariners, Mets or Brewers look to upgrade behind the plate. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports that Martin, who is from Montreal, wants to play on the East Coast (Twitter link).
You can imagine what this did to me. I’m still in shock…the Yankees wanted to TRADE my Francisco Cervelli? What the heck has gotten into them this year? They’re having trouble signing Jeter, Cliff Lee is still not in pinstripes, and now this? WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO DO TO ME????
They were so close to trading him…
But for now, my baby is safe. I just heard that the Dodgers have non-tendered Russell Martin, which means he’s out there on the free agent market for all teams so see…which means that the Yankees don’t need to trade for him if they want him.
But just the fact that they wanted to trade Cervelli worries me: just because he’s not being traded for Russell Martin doesn’t mean they won’t trade him.
And trading Francisco Cervelli would destroy me inside.
GOD I HATE THE OFFSEASON! It’s way, waaaay too stressful…
Yay for the Giants – Now It’s Our Turn
Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants on winning the World Series! And thank you for beating the Texas Rangers! The better, and more likeable team, truly won. I didn’t watch much of this World Series, since FOX was being all obnoxious. But I did watch the last game. Their on-field celebration after that final strikeout of Nelson Cruz brought a smile to my face…and just a slight tear to my eye. But I shouldn’t mope about the Yankees – this was the Giants’s year to shine.
I have to say, I don’t mind the Giants. In fact I kind of like them. They were indeed the underdogs, and they showed everybody how good they really were. They were the best this year. One player whom I REALLY adore is the Giants’s rookie catcher, Buster Posey. That dude is adorable. When the Giants let Bengie Molina go, (to the RANGERS…how ironic) they must have known how special Posey was.
Aww
Yep, Buster Posey sure is something else…but I think my Yanks have their own Buster Posey. And his name is Jesus Montero.
Jesus Montero…tore it up in triple A Scranton-Wilkes Barre this year with a .289 avg, 21 HR and 75 RBI after what was a slow start. He’s been the Yankees’s most prized prospect for a little while now. He’ll turn 21 later this month.
I wonder if he has a place on this team next season…
Jorge Posada is clearly slowing down – in 2010 he posted his worst numbers. But clearly, the Yankee fans don’t want to see him go just yet.
Francisco Cervelli, the love of my life, put together a nice season, but he was incredibly streaky. I hate to say it, but I’m not stupid, so I’ll admit it: Cervelli is not an everyday catcher.
But neither is Jorge Posada.
What are the Yankees to do?
I say, BRING UP THE KID, ALREADY!!! The Yankees have claimed that they wanted to get “younger.” Doesn’t a hot 21-year old Venezuelan catcher make sense?
Cuuuuute 😉
The young catcher worked for the Giants, it’ll probably work for the Yankees, too.
But at one point this past season, Jesus Montero almost wasn’t a Yankee. He was part of the package that would have been traded for Cliff Lee. But instead, the Seattle Mariners screwed the Yankees over, and sent Lee to the Texas Rangers for the player they were dying for: Justin Smoak. Justin Smoak, or Jesus Montero? Hm….Jeez that’s a tough one.
Whatever. Their loss.
Yankee fans were stunned when they heard that Cliff Lee was not going to be on their team in 2010. I was stunned, but pleasantly surprised. I didn’t want to have to give up the phenom, Jesus Montero, for Lee. Sure, I knew he would hurt the Yankees in the postseason, but it was a risk that I was willing to take.
But now that the Giants have officially beaten the Texas Rangers in the World Series, baseball is over….and you know what that means…
FREE AGENCY!!!!!
Oh yeah. Now it’s our turn to shine. I believe that the Yankees will sign Cliff Lee this offseason. That will make everything better. 2010 may have been a slight disappointment for Yankee fans because they didn’t win, but maybe that’s okay. Maybe it’s a sign of better things to come. Maybe not getting Cliff Lee this year was the best thing that could have happened for the Yankees. I mean, let’s say the Yankees had Cliff Lee and say that they made it to the World Series to play against the Giants. The Giants OWNED Cliff Lee this year! So even if we had Cliff Lee this year, there was no guarantee that we would have won.
And hopefully, in 2011, the Yankees will have Cliff Lee AND Jesus Montero! It’ll be the best of both worlds!
Wouldn’t that be something? Hey Giants: Enjoy being the World Champs. You guys had an amazing season, and I think you’ve earned a lot of respect from fans throughout the nation. Congratulations.
But don’t get your hearts set on repeating.
In 2011, it’s NEW YORK’S turn to shine.
I LOVE YOU, YANKS!!!
On to the ALCS!!!
Yankees Sweep Twins…Again!
Remember in my last post when I said the Yankees were reminding me of the Yankees from last year? Well, last night, this statement proved to be even more true. The most apparent reason was because last night my Yankees wrapped up their 3-game sweep of the Twins to win the ALDS – just like last year. But more importantly, the Yankee have established an amazing 1-2-3 punch, which is Powerful at the beginning, Crafty in the middle, and Philthy at the end.
Pitching Analysis: Phil Hughes is the “Philthy” component of the 1-2-3 punch, in case you didn’t get my analogy. And BOY was he philthy last night. I didn’t know what he was going to give us, having not pitched since September 26, and starting in the postseason after struggling in postseason relief last year. Did I expect Hughes to throw 7 shutout innings, allowing just 4 hits and striking out 6 along the way? I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. Hughes was a beast.
Huuuuuuuuughes!!!!!!!!
If the starting pitching in this ALDS is a sign of things to come for my Yankees, then I think the team is in pretty darn good shape. Their chance of a repeat is within striking distance. The combo of CC, Andy, and Phil reminds me of the CC, A.J., and Andy the Yankees used last year. And when you can compare anything, especially pitching, to the 2009 Yankees, you definitely have reason to smile. Eeeeek!! I’m excited!
Offensive Analysis: JUST like last year, the Yankee offense got to Brian Duensing. I felt kind of bad for the kid…his family was in the audience, and he received the loss. The look on his face as he sat there, all dejected on the bench after being taken out almost broke my heart. The poor guy looked like he was going to cry. But really, it was not his fault that the Yankees won. Sometimes, you gotta give credit where credit is due. The Yankees are a pretty good baseball team.
The offense started in the 2nd inning, where Robinson Cano led off with a triple. He scored on an RBI single by Jorge Posada. In the 3rd, Nick Swisher doubled with 2 out, and Mark Teixeira drove him in with an RBI single. That was a bullet of a single…it hit off the wall too hard and too fast for Mark to advance. But that’s okay. The Yankees were up 2-0.
Tex’s big swing!
In the 4th with Cano on first, Marcus Thames took his turn. He did what he always does, only different: Thames homered, but it was to right field. Thames went oppo! And the Yankees led 4-0. I think that was the swing that ended Minnesota’s season. Minnesota was done…but the Yankee bats weren’t. Brett Gardner tacked on a run with a sac fly, and Nick Swisher homered in the 7th. The Yankees were up 6-0. They went on to win it 6-1.
Thames’s reaction to his homer.
Swish’s smiley reaction to his homer.
Aww
The Heroes for this ALDS-Winning Victory are Phil Hughes, for proving that he can start in the postseason and for solidifying the Yankees 1-2-3 punch, and Marcus Thames for providing what was in essence the winning blow.
The Somebody Needs a Hug goes to….hmm…..I guess the Twins. They got swept…again. But I really shouldn’t be feeling bad for them, I mean the Yankees HAD to beat them. Forgive me for having a heart.
Okay the REAL Somebody Needs a Hug goes to Mick Kelleher. The poor guy was in the wrong place at the wrong time…in the 4th inning, on Robinson Cano’s infield single, the Twins threw the bald wildly…and it hit Mick…yeah…no guy wants this…
Ouch…
I leave you now with some HAPPY images of my Yankees celebrating with the bubbly after their win. 3 wins down, 8 wins to go.
A-Rod gets double-teamed. Look all the way on the right…see that cutie with the goggles? CERVELLI!!! Hi sweetie!
OMG Curtis! Look at him…such an innocent little boy. You are my MVP of the ALDS, with that .455 batting average. Keep up the good baseball, darling!
The next time the Yankees play is on Friday. That’s a long time…I’m going to miss them. I hope they rest up, but stay hot at the same time. From here on, it only gets harder. But I’m ready!
GO YANKEES!!!
Live, Eat, and Breathe Yankees 