Tagged: Melky Cabrera

AGONY!

Rough Day and Yankee Loss 😦

Omg today was stressful. I took my SAT, but that wasn’t the stressful part, believe it or not! I was nervous when I was pacing the halls waiting for the test to start, but other than that I was calm. It was a long, boring exam, but it was easy. After 5 hours of spilling my brain for the test, I was relieved it was over. I arrived home just in time for the start of the game. The game…Oh, what a game! It was not a fun one for me….it was agonizing…pitiful…I just feel awful. My Yankees lost 7-6 in what was a heartbreaking game for me.

Pitching Analysis: I was overjoyed that I got home in time to Javier from the beginning. I was happy, cheerful, and optimistic after my test. I felt I could conquer anything, and hoped Javy had that same bravado (good SAT word right there lolz). Unfortunately, this was not the case. Javier was, well…let me just say it outright – pretending I don’t realize it isn’t going to solve anything: Javier was dreadful once again today. He couldn’t even get an out in the 4th inning. In 3+ innings, Javy surrendered 5 runs, 3 homers, on 7 hits and 4 walks. He just looked miserable out there. He is so stressed out; it pains me to see him that way.

      Pitching coach Dave Eiland can't help Javy Vazquez as struggling righty gives up five runs in only three innings of work at the Stadium.

I would hide my face too if I were you, babe….OH! Did I just say that? I’M SO SORRY JAVY!!! But it’s true….you poor pitiful baby….

Ozzie Guillen is a greasy rotten ****. I’m not sure if he did it, but even if he didn’t I still feel that way about him. In the 3rd inning, the umpires confronted Javier and told him he had to change his glove because it is “illegal.” ILLEGAL? Why, then, has he been using it for the last 4 years? I think Ozzie pointed that out to the umps to freak out Javy even more. He had to go down into the clubhouse and get a brand new glove. I mean, how rotten is that? The poor man is so uncomfortable already, and you have to add to that? For no reason? What really annoys me is that JJ Putz had the same glove only the colors were reversed, and no one said a thing. I think Girardi should have done something about it.

I know that’s not why Javy was bad. But still….it’s just wasn’t right. Oh, Javier…you poor poor baby. I’m honestly very upset. I’m not mad at you, I just want you to succeed so much. The only reason I wasn’t hysterically crying over Melky’s departure for too long was because of you. I hate to admit it, but I am losing faith. I wonder now if it was worth it to get rid of Melky….

Joe Girardi got on my nerves today in the 7th. David Robertson has been so stinky lately. Why put him in in a 6-5 tight ballgame? Thanks to that, the Yankees lost. After Robertson screwed up the inning and put 2 guys on base, Girardi called on Marte to get out the lefty Pierzynski. Instead, Marte served up a 2-run double, which gave the ChiSox a 7-6 lead, and took all hope of a Yankee victory away.

Offensive Analysis: The Yankee offense really wasn’t bad today. The lack of pitching led to loss today. I’m not really in the mood to go through the whole thing because they LOST…OH! I get that sick feeling when I think about Swish’s 2-run HR in the 6th…that gave the Yanks a 6-5 lead. I was almost certain they would win it after that…but no….like I don’t have enough stress on me already…they blew it.

I almost died in the 6th. Prior to Swish’s home run, one of my truest loves….he….he….OH! WHY? WHHHYYYYY???? God, why did you do this to Curtis? To CURTIS?!?! He’s just…oh, he’s just too find…too GRAND….witnessing him limp like that felt like having a stake jammed through my heart….Just think: he was just starting to break out of his slump….he was just rounding the bases….and then he started hobbling…pitifully, painfully to 3rd base. It’s his groin. A grade 2 strain to his left groin is going to sideline him to the DL for at least 15 days…can you imagine what this did to me? I wish I had magical healing powers…oh Curtis! How I wish I could just make it better baby…you poor thing….Seriously, no joke, I almost cried when I heard you were going to the hospital for an MRI…I expected something bad….

Trainer Mark Littlefield (l.) and manager Joe Girardi (r.) help Curtis Granderson off the field after centerfielder injures groin in sixth inning.

Curtis Granderson (c.) is helped off the field after suffering a Grade II groin injury.

…..don’t leave me…..:'(

It has been quite an agonizing day. Not exactly how I hoped to start the new month. Poor Javier….poor Curtis….today was just not the best day for my Yankees. What if Javy continues to struggle? And then they like….-gulp-…get rid of him….that’s going to break my already half-broken heart. And…oh….what if GrandyMan’s groin is more serious than we know? What if he’s away for more than 2 weeks? I’m going to suffer from Granderson withdrawl….This is too agonizing…can it get worse? Will it?

Maybe the stress of junior year is finally catching up to me….maybe I am just overtired… It can’t get worse. I mean it can, but it won’t. It definitely won’t. It will be okay. It has to, because these are the Yankees. They make things interesting, but when it’s all over, it will be okay. It’s a long season…there will be ups and downs. But at the end, I think I know where this team will be.

At #28.

Yeah. It’s painful right now, but it will be alright. And there WERE some positives today…like Mitre (♥). That guy was dealing today. And Swisher’s Yankee Stadium funk may finally be over. And Tex looked good today. And Jorge is alive!

 I just need to calm down…

“Everything is alright, If I just breathe…”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQQZSL_tVsE&feature=fvsr

 

Rookies Running Wild!

Today has been so much fun, and now it all gets better from here. With Spring Training officially over, the regular season is about to start. I had the greatest pleasure of watching the Yankees play an exhibition game against the Future Stars. It was great – no matter who won, the Yankees would win! As it turned out, it was the Big Boys who came out on top. I got a little confused at the end of the game, because the Yankees put in all their rookies. So it was the Future Stars versus the rookies! For all of you who know me, you know I just LOVE rookies. Today was especially fun for me.

It was a good day all around. I don’t think anyone cared about the final score: Yankees 9, Future Stars 6. In fact, the rules hardly applied to this game. Marcus Thames was randomly thrown into the lineup without replacing anyone. His home run in the 5th was a monster shot.

I had the pleasure of watching Jesus Montero again today, who I don’t hate anymore. How could I? I only hated him because I thought he was a threat to Cervelli’s job. But Cervelli is safe for now, so I can now freely love Montero. He is cute…always, ALWAYS smiling! He reminds me a little of Melky Cabrera with his smile. And he’s good too, getting 2 hits today: a powerful double and a line-drive single. If I wasn’t falling for him before, I am now…he’s so muscular…and young…ooh-la-laa 😉

Nice muscles ;)….

There’s the smile :)….

Ooh and he’s a goofball too? Aw…

Mmmm…..

Okay. Before when I said, “If I wasn’t falling for him before, I am now…” well, that’s somewhat of a lie now. I HAVE FALLEN FOR HIM. I thought you should just know this…

Remember how I was all depressed that Melky was gone? Well today, I was pleasantly surprised. As they showed the lineup for the Future Stars, a name caught my eye: Melky Mesa. Then the “Oh my God”s rampantly flew from my mouth. I could not wait to get a glimpse of him. When I saw him at-bat, I realized he didn’t look anything like the Melky I love. But I guess that’s okay. He is a different person…a different Melky…but I hope I can still love him the same. Like I said before, he looks different than Cabrera, but I can’t say that I’m disappointed at all. He’s still a cutie.

Here he is, the new Melky: Melky Mesa

Melky Mesa…mmm…skin a little darker than Cabrera’s, body a little thinner…but same youthful demeanour. I’m pulling for this kid all the way. ♥♥♥

I can’t get over how much fun today was for me. Aside from assessing the rookies’ looks, I assessed their skills! One player I think will be very very good is reliever Jonathan Ortiz. He has a very unorthodox delivery that creates deception. From the little I saw of him, I think he’s going to be special. Mark my words. I’ve “scouted” other players in the past too…like Ramiro Pena.

Ortiz will be good! I know it!

Spring Training, and especially today, was a blast. But now the real thing is here! The war is about to begin….and luckily, my Yankee warriors are back to good health. Cervelli will be okay, as well as Nick Johnson, Damaso Marte, and Alfredo Aceves. This is good…now, the Yankees will be able to deploy their finest, strongest, best warriors on the battlefield of Fenway tomorrow.

I’ll be there in spirit boys, just like I always am 🙂

The 2010 season…I just can’t believe it is really here!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!! The quest for #28 starts tomorrow!

Here we go again 🙂

Go on, boys. Make this momma proud.

♥♥♥ 

Things Are Changing

Spring Training has been a blast, but real baseball is right around the corner! I don’t really have a topic for this entry, but I’m too excited not to write. Let’s see…what’s new with me since last time I blogged. I hate this “limiting blogging” thing I’ve been doing lately. Blame calculus and APUSH, please. They have been occupying too much of my valuable time. Also, my brother Bobby turned 18 yesterday! That’s so weird.

Things are changing over there at the Yankees’ camp in Tampa. People have left, some of which won’t be on the team anymore. Like Chad Gaudin. Aw, Chaddy-waddy. For some reason, I really really feel bad about this departure. Chad did everything and anything the Yankees asked of him last season, and he did it well. Because of his icky Spring, with an 8.68 ERA, Chaddy was released. He is now free to sign with any team. He said he was disappointed, but he knew it was bound to happen. Yankee fans will miss you, Chad. Don’t feel shy to use that Key to the City 🙂

 

I’ll miss you ♥

Also, Jamie Hoffmann, the guy the Yankees got in the Rule 5 draft, was released. I think he’s going back to the Dodgers. This poor cutie really never got a chance. Oh well.

I’m going to miss seeing Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, Reegie Corona (♥), Colin Curtis, and all the other little cuties who were sent back to Minor League Camp. A lot changes during the course of a season; you don’t know which guys you will see again. Especially Minor Leaguers, because a lot of times you don’t even know they got traded.

Speaking of Montero and Romine, that reminds me of Mauer. He’s going to be a Twin for a LONG time, and will earn quite a few bucks doing it thanks to that hefty contract he received. I’m thrilled about this for a number of reasons:

1) First of all, he deserves this. He is the Twins.

2) Mauer is safe from the Red Sox! I was worried that they would sign him after this season!

3) Most importantly, the Yankees won’t have to give up any of their adorable catcher cuties to make room for him. So for now, Cervelli, Montero, and Romine are safe.

I have to admit, I my perception of Jesus Montero is beginning to change. I’m starting to fall for him. He’s adorable. I had it in my mind that I would hate Montero, because he was supposed to be better than Cervelli and I though Cervelli would be traded only to have Montero take his place. But when I actually saw the cutie in action, I changed my mind. He’s friggin’ adorable! And he’s not much older than me…at age 20, he’s just 4 years older than me…

  

That’s hot…

Oh, and Austin Romine is pretty charming as well.

         

Cute!

I’ve loved Spring Training so far, but something has beem lacking…and it makes me feel a little bit empty inside…I love the team so much, but I just miss him….

 

Melky Cabrera #53 of the New York Yankees calls for time during a spring training game against the Houston Astros at Osceola County Stadium on March 2, 2009 in Kissimmee, Florida.  (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Melky Cabrera

MelkyBaby…

I know he had to go away, but still…I loved Melky and I always will. I wish he was here.

To all the Yankees who are no longer Yankees, this is for you:

 

 

I’ll miss you all.

♥

Happy New Year!

2010! It sounds so weird. January. That means baseball is closer. Pitchers and catchers report in February…I can do this. There is a lot I am looking forward to in this new year and the new baseball season coming up. Here are the top 5 things I want to see this year:

#5) Andre Ethier, my love ♥♥♥

If I am not mistaken, the Yankees will play the Dodgers this year during interleague play. I HAVE to see that. As many of you know, Andre is my favorite non-Yankee player. It will be Heaven for me to watch Andre and his Dodgers play my Yanks….

#4) Melky baby…

If I can just see Melky a little this year, that would be great. Watching baseball and not seeing Melky is too painful. In 2010, I want to see my Leche, even if that means watching Braves games.

#3) Javier!!!

I know I will see a whole lot of Javy this season. But I want to see him be very successful. So successful, that they sign him to a nice, long contract so I don’t have to worry about losing him again. I thought Javier was good in ’04 for the Yanks, except for that whole meltdown thing…but let’s not go there! If CC, A.J., and Andy can do what they did last year again, and if you incorporate into that rotation a dominant Javier Vazquez, the rotation will be pretty darn beast. 

#2) Matt Holliday as a Yankee!!!

Ow-ow! He is smokin’!!! In case you didn’t know, I am obsessed with Matt Holliday. He’s so gorgeous, and that’s a fact. And as of right now, this beautiful human being is still a free agent! The Yankees need a left fielder. I WANT HIM! Sure, he is expensive. BUT THE YANKEES CAN AFFORD HIM! Holliday would be a perfect fit for the Yankees. Imagine having him him the lineup. IMAGINE HIM IN A YANKEE UNIFORM!!! Oh my God. I’d pass out. But it’s worth it. God, Brian Cashman, whoever will listen to me, please bring me Matt Holliday. PLEASE.

#1) #28.

This one is self-explanatory. 🙂

Here’s to the new year, 2010. I hope gives us all joy, cherished memories, and a great season for the team we love.

GO YANKEES!!! I can’t wait to see you boys again!

Brettiboo – I Miss You

Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner

I miss this little speedster. I always liked Gardner, but sometimes I didn’t let it show. When Melky was sent to Triple A and Gardner took over, I hated him. When the stupid decision was made to make Gardner the starting centerfielder in ’09 instead of Melky, I hated him. See, I never really hated him even though I said I did. I just didn’t want him to push Melky aside. If Gardner and Melky could have played together, that would have been great.

Brett Gardner is one of the most exciting players I have ever had the privelage to watch. Now that my darling baby Melky is gone (sob) I am perfectly happy with seeing Brett have more playing time. But I don’t think he is going to be the starting left fielder. I want this sexy guy to be:

holliday_baseball.jpg

But even if Gardner is not the starter, I’m sure Yankee fans will still see a lot of this in 2010:

People think I am crazy, but I am convinced that this is true: I saw Brett Gardner in Fishkill. It was the Monday of the All-Star break, July 13th. My mother and I were coming back home after a nice shopping spree at JC Penney. In front of us in the lane to the left, I saw an extremely fancy car. It was a blue BMW convertible. It was the fanciest car I have ever seen in my life. I thought, “Who is driving THAT?!” The light turned red, and we stopped. We managed to stop right next to the car. I looked at the driver. I saw a guy with a funny-shaped bald head, wearing sunglasses, and chewing gum. My mouth dropped and I was speechless. IT WAS BRETT GARDNER!!! Who else looks like him? What are the chances that another man with a funny-shaped bald head, with enough money to have an expensive car, would be in New York during the All-Star break! THERE ARE NO CHANCES! IT WAS HIM!

Brett’s car looked like this one.

This is the sad part. My car had its windows down because it was like 90 degrees that day. He was in his convertible. If I wanted to say something, he would have heard me. And I did want to! BUT I COULDN’T! I tried, but the words didn’t come out. I WAS IN SHOCK! I was a few feet away from a Yankee. I happened to be wearing my #11 Yankee jersey that day. I finally built up enough courage to say “Hey” and turn around to show him his number on my shirt. I was about to do it. But the light turned green. And my Mom began to turn the car into Wal-Mart. “NOOO!!! MOMMY STOP! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!”

“What?” she said. “I told you I need a few things in Wal-Mart.”

“NOO! BUT…HE’S GETTING AWAY!” I exclaimed in despair.

“…What? Who?”

“B..BB..R..BRETT GAR..DN…..ER…was in that…fffanccy…cccar…”

No response.

“It looked just like him. God, I can KILL MYSELF FOR NOT MAKING A MOVE!”

I really could have killed myself. I was so close to a Yankee, and I blew it. My disbelief got the better of me. -Sigh-………..

When I said that no one else looks like Brett Gardner, I sort of lied. My brother came up with a fabulous lookalike for Brett. Just the expression his face looks like Gardner:

Brettiboo…

…and Nick Stokes from CSI!!!!!!!

Brett, I have been through a lot with you. I love you, I hate you, I love you, I hate you, COME BACK BRETT!!! NO! TURN AROUND!, I love you. The truth is, I miss you a lot. I don’t know what is going to happen with you in 2010, but I hope it is good. Enjoy the offseason. I can’t wait to see you next year!

My Melky/Javier Saga

I’ve been missing my boys so much that I haven’t blogged about what the team is doing! I’m sure everyone knows anyway. We got Granderson, Johnson, and Vazquez. I think everyone also knows that Melky Cabrera was my baby and was my favorite Yankee. So you can imagine what this whole Javier thing did to me. But maybe, you can’t.

It was a normal boring Tuesday at school. I had just come out of history class and entered the halls on my way to English. I hear a man call my name, and turn around to see who it was. It was Mr. Ogden! My history teacher from last year, the GUY THAT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE BRIAN BRUNEY!!! He knows all about me and my Yankee devotion. And he knows of my infatuation with Melky. Ogden quickly broke the news to me.

“Yankees traded Melky.”

I was stunned. At first I didn’t believe him. But then he said it again. And I almost cried right there in the middle of the hallway. As I headed away, my life ruined, he said, “Yeah, we got Javy Vazquez.”

I went to my locker and hid my head behind its door so no one would see if I cried a bit. Ogden’s words kept replaying in my head. “Yankees traded Melky.” How could this happen? I thought he was safe now.

I headed to English, Ogden’s words still terrorizing my mind. But this time, I let them play further: “Yankees traded Melky. Yankees traded Melky. Yeah, we got Javy Vazquez.”

Javy Vazquez? Javier Vazquez? O-M-G. I went back up to Ogden, and asked, “Wait,…Melky is gone, but we…have Javier…again???” Before he could answer, I turned away and let out a big “OH MY GOD!” Here is where the real story begins:

 I was in sixth grade. Javier Vazquez became a Yankee. I didn’t know anything about him…well,…I had his baseball card from when he was with the Expos. I used to stare at that baseball card for God knows how long. I always thought Javy was adorable, but now I could actually see him play! I was happy, to say the least, about this deal. Javier Vazquez was my first crush. Isn’t that cute? Every time he pitched, my eyes didn’t leave the screen for a second. I felt like I was in Heaven looking at him. But this paradise was cut short.

Just look at him!. Friggin’ adorable! This picture just makes me want to hug him.

After ’04, the Yankees traded Javier away, without even consulting me (lol). They had no clue what they just did to me. I was young, about 10 or 11, and I was in love with Javier. AND THEY TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME. I felt lost. I felt cheated. I felt cut-short; my one year with Javy was not enough. But there was nothing I could do. Javier was gone, and I was forced to move on. How terrible is that? A little girl, forced to get over her first crush. 

It was hard, but I began to leave Javier behind. He left me in ’04, and in ’05, a new cutie came upon the scene. Do you know who this cutie was? Melky. Melky showed his pudgy little face for a short time in  2005, and I loved him immediately. He was such a nervous little rookie! In 2005, I had a new favorite Yankee; a new Yankee I loved. Melky Cabrera was this man. And he remained so for 5 years.

This pic just sums up Melky: Carefree, silly, and on base. I luv him.

Naturally, I was devistated when I heard Melky left. But when I found out Javier was swapped with him, I was happily shocked. This trade was the most bittersweet thing that ever happened to me. I was torn. I lost my sweet Yankee love, for my great love of the past. What is this girl to do? How is this girl to feel? This whole story sounds like something out of a movie or something.

This whole thing is 100% true. I still can’t really believe it. I won’t be seeing Melky again any time soon. No more dancing with Cano and Swisher. No more jumping high five after a win. No more silly, ridiculous things that only Melky can do. But…staring at Javier just might make up for this.

If anyone has any advice on how I should feel about this, please comment. You can imagine how torn I must feel.

Thank you.

A Win Closer

Yanks Take Series Lead!!!

I’m getting excited. I can’t help myself. The Phillies have won 11 of their last 12 postseason home games, and the Yankees beat them last night! No matter what, the Yankees will not lose this series on the road. Game 3 was a great game. I didn’t do anything for Halloween, it was just my quintessential Saturday: watching my Yankees win. What could be better? The Yankees beat the Phils 8-5.

Pitching Analysis: Andy Pettitte started last night, and he did a pretty good job. He went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, and struckout 7. He had a rough 2nd inning in which he allowed 3 runs. Werth homered, the bases became loaded and he walked in a run, and the Victorino got a sac fly to give the Phils a 3-0 lead. Andy served up another solo shot to Werth in the 6th.

Andy Pettitte (2-0 in playoffs) makes his 12th World Series start for the Yankees.

Another postseason win for Andy.

The so-called “shaky” bullpen was not shaky last night; in fact it was quite solid. I have to admit, I was nervous when Joba came out to start the 7th. But he really did a nice job, pitching a 1-2-3 7th. In the 8th, it was Damaso Marte’s turn, the only reliever besides Mo whom I had confidence in. And he really dealt. He pitched a 1-2-3 8th, and struckout 2 of 3 hitters. Phil Hughes started the 9th. He got 1 out, but then served up a solo homer to Ruiz. I don’t know what to think about that. I mean, they had a 4 run lead, so I don’t blame him for throwing strikes. But when he was good, he threw strikes and struck everyone out. I don’t know. Anyway, after allowing that homer, Hughes was pulled for Mo, who got the next 2 guys out to nail down the victory for the Yanks.

Offensive Analysis: The offense did explode last night, but it took the Yanks awhile to get something started off Hamels. Finally in the 4th, a rally begun. The Yankees were down 3-0 at the start of the inning. Mark Teixeira drew a seemingly-innocent 1 out walk. Then the big man game to the plate. Alex Rodriguez, who was previously 0-8 in this World Series, looked to provide a spark for the Yanks. He hit a ball deep to right that was heading out, but it bounced back into the park in an odd way. I thought it was a homer, but they said it was a double. The Yanks asked for instant replay, and the umps correctly ruled it a homer. Yay! 3-2 now.

It's a Happy Halloween for A-Rod as he breaks his no-hit streak in the fourth ...

Is is gone?

... and the hit is ruled as a two-run homer, bringing in Mark Teixeira.

Hell yeaz!

In the 5th, the Yankee bats were loud. Nick Swisher led off with a double. I think it is safe to say he broke out of his slump last night. Melky Cabrera then struckout, and I was like “Darn, Melky, now Pettitte has to bat. Way to strand the runner.” I spoke too soon. Andy Pettitte smashed a solid single up the middle, which scored Nick Swisher! An RBI single for Pettitte? Hey, I’ll take it! And a funky, awkward slide by Swish.

Pettitte steps up to the plate in the fifth for a rare sight and manages to knock a single ...

Nice.

... bringing in Nick Swisher, who slides hard into home ...

WTF?

... and crashes into Carlos Ruiz on a close call, but is safe. Bombers' lead balloons to 4-2.

…..okay then,……that’s Swish for you……

The Yanks weren’t done yet. Jeet singled, and Johnny Damon drove in 2 more runs with a double! That gave the Yanks a 5-3 lead, a lead that they would never give up.

The Yanks added on 1 run in each of the next 3 innings. In the 6th, Swish hit a solo homer to give his team a 6-3 lead. In the 7th, Jorge drove in a run with an RBI single to make it 7-4. And in the 8th, Hideki Matsui came off the bench and hit an opposite-field solo homer to make it 8-4 Yanks. It was nice to see some extra runs.

This game was pretty exciting. The Yankees were down 3-0, and wound up coming back and winning 8-5. The heroes for this well-played game are Andy Pettitte, for pitching nicely and for being clutch with the bat, Nick Swisher, for coming out of his slump, and Arod, for proving that he is not slumping and for proving wrong the stupid FOX announcers. Haha. It’s Ryan Howard who stinks. He was 0-4 with 3 K’s last night. He’s a bum.

Great job, Yanks. We are so close!!! The closest we’ve been in years!!!! AAAHHH!!!

Ruiz hits a solo home run in the ninth, but that's all the action the Phillies see in the ninth. Yankees blast the Phillies, 8-5, to take the World Series lead, 2-1. They'll return to Citizens Bank Park Sunday for Game 4. CC Sabathia will take the hill against Joe Blanton.

Lemme see this 2 more times!!!!

GO YANKEES!!!

Whoa….They Made It….

Yanks Advance To Ultimate Goal

Whoa. Just, whoa. For the first time since 2003, my Yankees are making an appearance in the World Series. This is marvelous. This is phenomenal. This is…..beautiful. I’m touched. Last night was the biggest night of my life (lame life, I know….). Watching the Yankees beat the Angels and celebrate because they are going to the World Series was the greatest thing. I almost cried. The Yankees beat the Angels 5-2, and move on.

Pitching Analysis: Who better to get this win than Andy Pettitte? A classic Yankee, one of the Core 4, Andy toed the rubber for the Yanks. And he was as dandy as an Andy could be. Pettitte went 6 and 1/3 innings and allowed just 1 run, and he struckout 6 Halo hitters.  Andy looked sharp from the beginning. He had that stare, that intimidating, serious, I’m-gonna-kill-the-hitter stare. And when he has that, you know that he is on. This win was Andy’s 16th career postseason victory, which is a new ML record. Congradulations, Andy. We love you.

Joe Girardi chooses to start Andy Pettitte over CC Sabathia though CC would've pitched on full rest tonight.

Pure Dandiness!!!

Joba pitched the rest of the 7th and managed to get everyone out. Mariano went for the 2 inning save as he pitched both the 8th and the 9th. He allowed a run in the 8th thanks to an RBI single by Vlad Guererro, but it didn’t mean anything. We won!

Defensive Analysis: Nick Swisher has a brain. In the 2nd, Guerrero led off with a single. Then Morales flew out to Swish. But Swish has keen eyes. He noticed that Guerrero strayed far off the first base bag, so he fired to Teixeira, and Guerrero was doubled up! A nice heads-up play by Nick Swisher. That should have shut up the FOX announcers. All they talked about was how Nick Swisher is in a slump. Well, to prove them wrong, Swish had a single, scored a run, and made that great play. Haha McCarver, wrong again.

It's a heady play for Nick Swisher, who makes the catch ...

I know why he’s out of the slump! Because the Swish-hawk is back! Great hairstyle. Too bad his hat is on in this picture.

Here’s the Swish-hawk!

Offensive Anlaysis: There wasn’t much offense, but there was enough. I like the way the Yankees played the game last night. If you noticed, they didn’t hit any home runs last night. The Yankees built all their runs, and they forced the action. They MADE the Angels make the plays, and the Angels couldn’t make them.

The 4th is where the offense started. The Yanks were trailing 1-0. Cano led off with a walk, Swish singled, and my man Melky laid down a BEA-U-TI-FUL sac bunt to advance the runners. Jeter walked to load the bases. So with the bases loaded and 1 out, Johnny Damon came up. He delivered a CLUTCH 2-run single, which gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead. But they weren’t done yet. Texy-wexy got an infield single, and Alex Rodriguez forced in a run via the walk. That gave the Yanks a 3-1 lead, and it gave me feelings and hopes of advancing.

Damon knocks a single to left center in the fourth ...

The Yanks scored again in the 8th, and the rally started the same way: a leadoff walk by Cano. Then Nick Swisher bunted, and reached on a error. Then Melky bunted, and the ball was thrown crazy! A run scored, and the Yanks had a 4-2 lead. Later on in the inning, Mark Teixeira came through with a sac fly. This 5-2 lead was enough. My boys went on to win it, and they broke out the bubbly.

The Bronx is back! Yanks will meet the Philadelphia Phillies in their first World Series since 2003. The Bombers will contend for their 27th championship.

I wish I was in the middle of this.

Aw, how sweet.

Sabathia is named ALCS MVP after going 2-0 in the series. He'll make his first World Series appearance when he starts in Game 1 on Wednesday against the Phillies. As if that day couldn't get any bigger, he'll pitch against former Cleveland Indians teammate Cliff Lee.

BUBBLY!!! Hopefully I will see one more of these celebrations….

Well, they did it. My Yankees are another step closer to the ultimate goal. The heroes for the victory are Andy Pettitte, Johnny Damon, and everyone else. I can’t leave anyone out. I’m in too good of a mood. WE ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!!!! This is like my first post in awhile. Sorry about that. There were off days and I was busy, and after that loss the other day I couldn’t sit down and think about the game. But hey, I’m blogging now.

A quick message for my Yankees: Hey guys. I just wanted to say thanks, again. This season has been magical, and this was just another chapter of the story. Thank you for taking me along with you on this amazing ride. We are coming down the final stretch now. This is it. The World Series. It’s do or die now, boys. I know the Phillies are going to be tough. But if anyone can beat them, you can. You have my support, my prayers, my love. And as always, I will be right there with you, cheering you on the whole way.

GO YANKEES!!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!  ♥♥♥

It's bone-dry in the Bronx as fans congregate outside the Stadium eager to see if the Yankees can clinch their 40th pennant tonight.

THAT’S More Like It!

We Won! 1 More And Then Off To The WS!

Before I begin, I feel that I must apologize to my fellow blogger Hyunyoung. Hyunyoung, I am very sorry that I offended you by bad-mouthing your Angels on my last post. I know they are a great team, and I like the way they play the game (I love the running game!). It’s just that when the Yankees lose, I get mad. My actions are inexcusable. I know the Angels beat them yesterday and they played well. I just got carried away. I hope you understand 🙂

But that is way back now. Last night, the Yankees beat the Angels 10-1, and it was fun for me to watch. Girardi didn’t do anything stupid, and the whole team played well.

Pitching Analysis: C “Cy” was fabulous again. So much for him not pitching well in the postseason. Sabathia pitched 8 innings of 1-run ball, and he did this on 3 days rest! HE’S A BEAST!!!

CC Sabathia enjoys laugher as he continues to earn every dime of contract. The Yankees beat the Angels 10-1 to come within one win of the World Series.

CC had the right to smile last night. And so did I 🙂

Chad Gaudin pitched a scoreless 9th inning. I’m glad Girardi didn’t do anything stupid last night. I guess I’m a bit hard on Joe. All kidding aside, he is a great manager. It just so happened that the decision he made the other night led to the loss. Wait, this is behind me now, so why am I bringing it up again? It has now been erased from my mind. It’s gone.

Offensive Analysis: I love it when the offense explodes. It’s about time. The Yankees were worrying me with their lack of hitting with runners in scoring position. But last night was different. 10 runs off the solid Angel pitchers. Not too shabby.

The offense started in the 4th. Cano’s RBI single drove in Arod, and my man Melky singled in 2 runs. Nice to see him do something clutch. In the 5th, Alex hit a no-doubter 2-run homer to give the Yanks a 5-0 lead. Also in the 5th, something crazy happened. Posada stole a base! I could not believe what I saw. There was a lot of weird baserunning that inning. That play with Cano and Jorge at third base was hysterical.

Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano run into trouble, but third base ump Tim McClelland still botches call right in front of him.

I dont’e even know…it was weird.

The Yanks scored 5 more times before winning. I went to bed before it ended (blasphemy, I know) but I was tired. I shall not do that anymore. What I should do is take a nap when I get home, and then watch the whole game. I won’t miss anyore of my Yankees.

The heroes for the victory are CC Sabathia, for just doing his thing out there on the mound, Alex Rodriguez for another postseason homer, and Melky, just because I love him ♥. My boys are off tonight, I guess I now have no excuse to not study calculus….darn. Wish me luck with that….I don’t really know what I’m doing….let’s see….the slope of the tangent line is the general derivative….formula is: lim h-0 of f (x+h) – f (x) / h……then when you find the derivative, you find the equation of the tangent line by using the point-slope formula….and no one cares about this so I will just shut up and go study….

GO YANKEES!

**One more thing** THANKS EVERYONE FOR MAKING MY BLOG #33 ON THE LATEST LEADERS FOR THE 2009 REGULAR SEASON!!! It really means the world to me. Thank you all so much. I love you ♥

GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An Odd, Exciting, AWESOME WIN!!!

These Yankees Amaze Me

This entire postseason has been so much fun. And last night? Just another crazy “walkoff” win from the Drama Club. I was so tired when it ended. The time on my clock as I climbed into bed was 1:37 am. I was beyond exhausted. I had the PSAT, and then that game. It was insane. The Yankees beat the Angels last night/this morning 4-3.

Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett was dominant. His stuff was naaaaaaasty. Molina caught him again, and mixed his pitches very well. Once again, the usually-explosive Angel lineup could barely amount to anything. They scored 2 runs off A.J. Acutally, if you think about it, A.J. beat himself last night. He’s just too good! In the 5th, things got a little messy. A.J. just could not control that curveball. There were hit batsmen and wild pitches. The Angels only got 2 hits that inning, but those hits plus A.J.’s wildness added up to 2 runs, and a 2-2 game.

The bullpen did a magnificant job last night. They went over 6 innings, and allowed just 1 run.  Coke, Joba, Hughes, Mo, Ace, Marte, and Robertson all pitched last night. Only Aceves gave up a run; an RBI single by Figgins in the 11th inning. The bullpen guys were the heroes last night. and A.J., too. He really pitched a great ballgame. He received a lovely ovation when he was taken out. He deserved it.

A.J. Burnett acknowledges crowd after pitching innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs.

A.J. heading back to the dugout…but he will emerge later with a pie…

Defensive Analysis: The defense was uncharacteristically sloppy last night. Jeet made an error and Cano made 2. But unlike the Angels the night before, the Yankees were able to win despite the bad “d.” Oh, and Johnny Damon made another fine play last night in the 9th.

Robinson Cano bobbles ground ball for error in seventh, one of two miscues for Yankee second baseman.

The bad “d.”

Johnny Damon makes grab Saturday night but will he haul in new contract from Yankees?

The good “d.”

Offensive Anlaysis: The Yankees had a little trouble with runners in scoring postition last night; in fact they were 0-8 in those situations. But they managed to get the BIG hits when they really needed them. In the 2nd, Swish drew a 2-out walk, and Cano tripled him in, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. In the 3rd, Jeter hit an opposite field solo homer to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead.

In the 11th, the Yankees were trailing 3-2 , and the Angels sent out Fuentes to pitch. Arod was to lead off the inning, but there was no way I was going to expect him to be clutch again. How ignorant of me. With an 0-2 count, Alex got a high fastball, and he smashed it into the right field seats for a GAME TIEING HOME RUN!!!!! GOD do I love that man?!!!!!!

Alex Rodriguez rounds bases as his line-drive homer ties score in 11th before Yanks pull out Game 2 in 13th.

I FRIGGIN’ LOVE YOU, ALEX!!!!

It seemed like the game would never end. The Yankees kept getting runners on, and they kept stranding them. So in the 13th when Jerry Hairston led off with a pinch-hit single, I didn’t think much of it. Gardner then bunted him over, and Cano was intentionally walked to get to my man Melky, the Yankee who has received 3 pies this year. “Stupid move,” I thought. But Melky hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Izturis’s left, and I was like, ‘Oh, no! Melky, no!” But Izturis, the same guy the stupid FOX annoncers were praising the whole game, threw to Aybar at second, and threw it wild! The ball was heading into foul territory. Jerry hustled around third, headed for home, and SAFE! JERRY SCORES! THE ANGELS DEFENSE SCREWED UP! AND THE YANKEES WIN!!!!!!!!!!

Hairston cheers after scoring the winning run as a dejected Angels catcher walks off the field.

JERRY SCORES THE WINNING RUN!

Jerry Hairston Jr. scores the game-winning run in the 13th inning early Sunday.

VICTORY!!!!!

The Yankees warm up the Bronx with another postgame celebration, mobbing Jerry Hairston (17) after 13th-inning win that sends Bombers to West Coast up 2-0 in ALCS.

Jerry gets tackled by his teammates.

Hairston gets the celebratory pie-in-the-face from Burnett.

AND GETS THE TASTE OF VICTORY PIE!!!

It was cute seeing Jerry get pied. Even though Melky hit the ball, Jerry deserved it. It was great. Burnett used the direct approach this time. Usually, he sneaks around behind the player as they are getting interviewed. But this time, he approached Jerry head-on. He paused and showed Jerry the pie, and then smushed it in his face. Taste good, huh Jerry?

I loved this game! The heroes are Arod, for keeping the Yankees alive, the Yankee pitchers, for also keeping the Yankees alive, and Jerry Hairston, for running hard and winning it for us. The Yankees head to California up 2 games to none, and they have to be feeling pretty good about things. I know I do. These Yankees never give up. They have that mentality. And they have that Yankee Stadium Magic, and the best fans. They are lucky to have all that. And I’m so lucky to have them. GO YANKEES! I LOVE YOU!

It's another windy night in the Bronx. Game time temperature is a blustery 47 degrees.