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2008 Post Season

Alas, no Yankees
Dodgers (with our man Joe Torre), Cubs, Phillies, & Angels clinched their divisions. Rays win the AL East and Boston is the AL wildcard, they will play the Angels in the first round (Angels are 8-1 against the Bosox) go Angels!
The Brewers win the NL wildcard.
The Chicago White Sox and Twins are still up in the air. The CWS must play a make up game in Chicago. Then if they win, they must have a playoff game with the Twins.
The Post Season Line Up
(Dates are the last World Series Win - Appearance if different)
AL:
Red Sox (2007) vs. Angels (2002)
Rays (never) vs either White Sox (2005)
or Twins (1991) Sox won the playoff game
NL:
Cubs (1908-1945) vs. Dodgers (1988)
I'm torn between Torre and Piniella
Phillies (1980-1993) vs. Brewers (never-1982)
ALCS:
Red Sox (2007) 3-1 vs. Rays (never) 3-1
Let's Go RAYS!
NLCS:
Dodgers (1988) 3-0 vs. Phillies (1980-1993) 3-1
Is it Torre or the team he leads? - Dodgers' first post season sweep since 1963 vs. the Yankees
Oh well, Joe loses another shot at the WS! But at least he (or was it Ramirez?) who got the Dodgers into the playoffs.
WORLD SERIES:
Red Sox (2007) or Rays (never) vs.
Tampa snatched defeat form the jaws of victory on 10/16. Are they choking? They had a 7 run lead in the 7th, but Boston tied in by the 8th and won in the 9th.
TBS had 'technical' problems and missed the first inning of the Saturday game. The hi-def feed from Staten Island Cable didn't tell us anything about the problem.
10/18 - it looks like the momentum is now in Boston's favor - bummer. Game 7 Sunday.
The Rays pull it out 3-1 to defeat the sox.
Phillies (1980-1993) 4-1 vs. Rays (never) 4-3
Go RAYS!
Game 5 suspeneded 10/27 in the 6th tied 2-2
The Phillies win it 4-3 in the completed game 5 taking the series 4 games to 1.

2008 Review

The season began on April 1 after a rainout on March 31 at Yankee Stadium, the last for the old ballpark.
Off to a good start - three great defensive plays, good starting pitching and hitless relief (3-K's, 1 BB) led to a 3-2 win over R. Halladay and the Toronto Blue Jays.
April 17 - With injuries to Jeter, Posada, and back up cather Molina, the Ynakees still manage to keep pace with the AL east Baltimore was in first place for most of the first week! The Yankees and Boston are now tied at 9-7.
April 27 - Yankees 13-13 and Boston 15-12. Posada's shoulder is hurting and put him on the disabled list. Wang is 5-0 (1 no decision). Joba loses his first game, but he and Mo (7 saves) are almost unbeatable. The rest of the bullpen is so-so. The kid pitchers are 0-6 and Steinbrenner wants Joba to join the rotation.
A-Rod's leg and Hughes' oblique (later rib fracture - another Pavano?) placed them each him on the DL.
Ian Kennedy sent to AAA Scranton. He makes some comment about the media.
But pitches a one hitter for seven innings.
Kei Igawa is brought up and stinks up the place again - 6 runs in 3 innings - Yanks lose 6-5.
May 14 - The world is officially upsidedown! Tampa Beats the Yanks and Mo in 11 innings 2-1 and take FIRST PLACE over Boston!
May 16 - The basement Yankees to play three against the disfunctional Mets.
Game 1 - postponed rain
Game 2 - Mets 7-4
Game 3 - Mets 11-2
The new Yankee secret to breaking a slump - Golden Thong - is that like a silver slugger?
The Yankee batting is pathetic. After the frist 5 in the batting order, no one is batting over .250. A-Rod is due back May 20 against Baltimore. The bull pen is beginning to wear thin, giving up 10 runs to the Mets in two games.
May 21 - Joe Girardi says that they are stretching Joba Chamberlain's innings with the goal of making him a starter during the season. This is a mistake, right now the Yankees have the best inning 8 and 9 combo in the majors.
And Farnsworth proved it by giving up a two run homer in the 8th, on May 24, but the Yankees had an 8 run lead cut to 6. What if it were a 2 run lead?
But Joba can't wait to start!
May 25 - The Yankees finally pull a game out when losing after 7 innings. Also the first game they came back from more than 2 runs down. They sweep Seattle and take their second series in a row. They are 25-25 and on the road again.
May 27 - Ian Kennedy gives up two homers to Baltimore and left with an injury. The Yankees hit four homers, but Baltimore tied it when Ohlendorf gave up three more homers in relief. The Yankees scored one in the 11th, but lost in the bottom of the 11th, when Hawkins gave up two runs.
Kennedy went on the disabled list, which may leave it to Joba Chamberlain to start next week (June 3).
June 3 - Today is Joba the Starter day! It's interesting that the designated 8th inning guy, Farnsworth(less) has already lost two games, including one on June 2 in the bottom of the 8th, with the game tied. Previously he came in with a four run lead and left with a two run lead. Then on June 5, he let a 7-6 deficit become 8-6. Luckily Giambi hit a 2 out 2 strike 2 run walk off home run to win the game 9-8.
One third of the way into the season and Mussina (9-4) and Rasner (2.58 ERA) are the two best pitchers!
June 7 - on a day when Pettitte didn't have it and gave up 10 runs including 7 runs to Jose Guillen, the score went back and forth until Rivera gave up a first pitch home run to David DeJesus, a kid from Brooklyn, making the score 11-10, Royals. But Posada hit a home run to tie it and Damon got his 6th hit of the game to win it 12-11! The Yankees rallied back from four runs back twice.
June 15 - Just when the statrting pitching and offense seemed to be going in the right direction together, Wang gets hurt running the bases, just before two home runs (A-Rod and Posada) gets the score to 11-0 against Houston and they win 13-0.
Wang will be out at least 6 weeks.
The good news - Yankee pitching did over 20 innings of scoreless ball and only gave up 9 runs, while the offense scored 38 runs.
Rivera got his 20th save, that didn't happen until August last year.
June 21 - Good news: Dan Geise made his first start and threw 62 pitches in 6 innings. Bad News: he made an error in the 7th that cost him 3 unearned runs. Earlier in the game, the Yankees couldn't score with bases loaded and an inning later with two on and no out. Yanks lose 6-0 when the bullpen further collapses and the offense sputters.
So June 24 - Rasner throws the next Yankee pitch to a Pirate in Pittsburgh since 1960 and it gets hit for a double then he got worse.
It seems that if the Yankee starter is good, the bullpen is great, but if the starter is bad, the bullpen is TERRIBLE!
The hitting is again in a collective slump, especially with runners on base.
Damon and Matsui are both aching - Justin Christian, goes 2-4 - 2 RBI in his ML debut - Jetter and Cano have had a disappounting first half. A-Rod is having trouble with runners in scoring position, but is near the top in batting. Giambi is near the top in home runs.
The Tampa Bay Rays are 4½ games in front of the Yankees in the east. Go Tampa!
June 27 - Subway series part II
The Yankee pitching stunk to say the least. Olendorf was so bad that he was optioned in favor of Igawa, after giving up 6 runs in one inning of the Yankee Stadium game.
Then as incredible as it seems, Sidney Ponson pitched 6 innings of 5 hit scoreless innings.
Game 1 - postponed game - Mets 15-6
So the Mets technically swept the three games at Yankee Stadium.

Real Game 1 - Yankees 9-0 - beat Martinez
Game 2 - Yankees 3-2 - beat Santana
Game 3 - Mets 3-1 - Choke-Rod came this|close to tying it in the 9th.
The Mets take the season serice 4-2 in subway games.
Oh, the new Mets manager, Jerry Manuel, says that the Yankees are the favored team in NY. Took him long enough to find that out!
Now let's get back to AL games.
July 1 - At the half way point - the world is still upside down! The Rays and the Cubs are the top two teams in baseball.
The Yankee bats finally wake up after four games, but the pitching let it get away and the offense goes back into a funk. Then in the 7th they explode for 9 runs
(but 6 are off a AAA pitcher making his major league debut - ERA 162+). Yankees beat Texas and avoid a sweep 18-7.
Oh, A-rod hit a 3 run homer when the score was 12-7. He is distracted by Madonna and kabbalah
Here come the BoSox
This is the first time since 1997 that neither team is in first place
Game 1 - 7-0 Boston - pathetic 5 hits
Game 2 - 6-4 Boston Damon hurt - goes on DL on Sunday.
Jeter's 'hit' was really the last out - umpire blew the call.
Game 3 - Yankees 2-1 - Mo works into and out of a bases loaded no out jam
Game 4 - Yankees 5-4 in 10 innings! Rookie Brett Gardner gets the walk off RBI with a single.
A-Rod tied the Mick with 536 home runs - now 13th place.
and the (first place ) Rays.
Game 1 - Yankees 5-0 - Jeter 2 RBI & two defensives plays - Pettitte 8 scoreless innings
Game 2 - Yanks 2-1 in 10 innings. Ponson pitches well. Abreu drives in Jeter in 10th.
A-Rod has been renamed on this page, he's now M-Rod (for Madonna)

Just after the Yankees win in Toronto,
it was announced that Bobby Murcer passed away.
Rest in Peace, Bobby.

At the All Star break:
The good news is that for the most part, the pitching staff has been very good giving up an average of 4.35 runs a game.
The bad news is that the offense has gone missing as they have scored only 4.59 runs a game.
Four major players (Posada, A-Rod, Matsui, and Damon) have been on the DL. Others have played hurt.
They are 50-45 in 3^rd place 6 games behind Boston (Tampa is on a 7 game losing streak)
In the wild card, they are in 4^th place, 5½ games back.
Last year they were in 3^rd place 10 games behind in the East .
In the wild card they're in 6 ^th place 8½ games out.
Oh, and the Mets are suddenly unbeatable - 9 wins and only ½ game out of 1^st(but they are playing poor teams).
All Star game: a celebration of Yankee Stadium! Many Hall of Fame Members lined up at their positions and were met by the 2008 All Star starters. George M. (the Boss) Steinbrenner brought out four 'first pitch' balls for Yogi, Whitey, Reggie, and Goose to throw to Jeter, A-Rod, Mo, and Girardi. Excellent.
Bobby Murcer was mentioned in connection with MLB fight against cancer.
The AL won again 4-3 in 15^th, after a pitching duel that went into 5^th before a run was scored, then tied in the 7^th and again in both halves of the 8^th.
4:50 duration
15 innings
AL Left 34 on base
Jonathan (I should close) Papelbon gave up a go ahead run in the top of the 8^thbut,
Billy (the Met) Wagner blew the save in the bottom of the 8^th.
Mo (1.2 inn -2 hits-0 runs-DP) bent, but didn't break in the 10^th and could have won, but the NL got out of a bases load-no out jam in the bottom of the 10^th (3 ground balls).

I guess M-Rod doesn't slide anymore. Twice in the series against Oakland, he was out at the plate trying to score standing. Maybe he doesn't want any brusies for Madonna.
July 23 - The Yankee bullpen has exceeded expectations. Farnsworth and Ramirez have each pitched 9 + consecutive HITLESS innings one or two innings at a time.
Bonds to the Yankees? Please *NO*!
The Yankees trade for the right handed outfielder and left handed reliever they have been missing.
Ross Ohlendorf and 3 minor leaguers got to Pittsburgh for Xavier Nady and left-handed reliever Damaso Marte.
Boston series July 25-27:
Game 1: Joba beats Beckett 1-0
Giambi gets the RBI on a 100 foot bouncer that just made the outfield grass with the overshift and runners on first and third.
What's the deal between Joba and Youkilis? Joba throws at him again. He walked 1 and struck out 9 (including Youkilis) otherwise.
Farnsworth trips up, but Mo recovers for the save.
Game 2: Yankees 10-3
Pettitte holds Boston to 3 runs (1 earned) and the bullpen does the rest.
Game 3: Boston 9-2
July 30 - After a blowout win against Baltimore, the Yankees announce that they traded Farnsworth to Detroit for catcher Ivan Rodriguez.
Cashman called it trading Peter to pay Paul. But they needed hitting from behind the plate. Getting Rodriguez gets that without losing the defense. Both players are free agents this season.
Aug 4 - Giambi grew a moustache in June and came out of his slump, until the All Star Game. Then he returned to his slump and shaved it off after Nady hit a HR on Aug 3. On the 4th, Giambi went 3-4 with a HR!
Aug 6 - OK, it's official, he's back at being Choke-Rod or No-Rod. Again he grounds into a doubleplay or strikes out or has an unproductive out while being the tying run or having the tying run on base. But he hits the home run when the score is 10-1 either with the Yankees winning or losing.
Joba went to the doctor and was placed on the 15 DL.
Karstens, who was traded to the Pirates (considered a bad trade) came four outs from a perfect game. He beat Randy Johnson and the D-Backs with a two hit shut out and is 2-0 since the trade.
Aug 9 - Ian Kennedy tries and fails again (then gets sent back to minors - he has an attitude problem too). Then Dan Geise pitches 6 great innings and leaves with a 3-1 lead. But the bullpen fails big time giving up 2 runs in the 8th and 8 in the 8th for an 11-4 loss.
Aug 10 - Pettitte pitches well again, but Marte allows runners on base and Mo allows a hit in 9th. Angels sweep.
Yankees are 3rd place 4 games behind in the wildcard race.
They are scoring 4.8 runs a game and giving up 4.5 runs a game - that's too close to win consistently.
Aug 12 - Mo blows his first save in trying for a 5 out save. The score was 6-3 Yankees, but Marte gets one out, but gives up two hits (why did we get him?) and Mo gives up a home run. The Yankees won it in 11 with two home runs (Choke Rod and Nady).
Steinbrenner the younger, is almost ready to concede the season due to injuries. What happend in 2006 when Matsui and Shefield went down, the others stepped up. They still scored 930 runs. That isn't happening this year. The other hitters aren't hitting in the clutch. Let's get another pitcher! PS it's not the pitching they are giving up less than 5 runs a game, that's not bad. They are projecting 851 runs now.
Will this become the rally cry for the rest of the season?
They finish a ten game road trip 3-7 - how sad.
Then they lose the first game of three against the Royals. The second was won in 13 innings and they finally get a blowout in the third game.
Is this the beginning of the surge!
No it's not. No-Rod and Giambum strike out SEVEN times with runners on base.
Aug 26 - Here come the BoSox again
Neither team is in first place, Boston is the wild card leader - must wins for the Yankees
Game 1 - 7-3 Boston - pathetic - No-Rod two double plays when the game was close.
Game 2 - Boston 11-3 - Ponson guts out 4+ innings and leaves losing 4-2, but he pen fails giving up 7 in the 8th. No-Rod drives in the first run in 1st.
Game 3 - Yankees 3-2 - Pull it out on Giambi pinch 2 run homer and bases loaded single in 9th
They're not dead yet!
If the pitching, for the most part is still good 4.5 runs a game,
but the hitting is only scoring 4.8 runs a game, who's to blame?
But then the lost weekend. Poor defense does them in against Toronto.

Sept. 3 - another Yankee first: three days since the start of the instant replay rule for home runs, whose HR is the first to get reviewed? A-Rod's tack on in the top of the 9^th at Tampa. The ball sailed above the foul pole in left and hit between the regular pole and the extension behind it on the wall. The TV replays looked like it was foul, but the official camera reported it fair. At least this one saved having to use Mo to save the game.
Sept. 5 - so they go into Seattle third worst record for a three game set and get no-hit for 7+ innings. Wilson Betemit gets an RBI double in the 8th to break up the no-hitter and the shutout. Pettitte had one bad inning and got the loss.
Oh, and Joe Torre and his LA Dodgers are in first place.
Sept. 9 - One of the few good things to happen, Jeter passes Babe Ruth on the all time hit list for Yankees. He's about 200 short of Lou Gehrig's, 2,721 hits. He is also nine hits shy of Lou Gehrig's Yankee Stadium record of 1,269, but time is running out on this one, as all records for the Stadium will be sealed after this season.
And rookie pitcher, Alfredo Aceves, held off the Angels clinch one more day by beating them in a game where A-Rod actually hit a meaningful home run early in the game.

Sept. 13 - It looks like Mike Musina will never win 20 games in a season. Versus Tampa he's given up 5 runs by the 5th inning, throwing 100 pitches. Will he come back?
Sept. 14 - Jeter goes 9 for 11 in over the weekend and tied with Lou Gehrig's Yankee Stadium record hits record!
Rivera ties Lee Smith for second place on the all time saves list with 478.
After going 0-4 on Monday, Jeter wastes no time in getting 2 hits (and a sac bunt) for 1271 to go ahead of Gehrig for hits in Yankee Stadium, a record that will never be broken.
Sept. 20 - Pitcher Alfredo Aceves, probably a baseball first, pulls off an unassisted double play - Roberts on second, the batter bunts a pop up that Aceves catches on the fly in front of the mound and runs to second beating Roberts back. Oh, the Yankees win another game (on Cano's bases loaded single in bottom of the 9th) 1-0, but too little to late.
The Tampa Bay Rays clinch the East title! - go Rays (who woulda thunk!)
Sept. 22 - Yankee Stadium (1923-1973 & 1976-2008) closes on a winning note with Jose Molina hitting the last home run, Giambi, the last hit (a bloop single), Pettitte getting the last win and Mo getting the last out. Jeter winds up with 1274 Stadium hits and made a speech thanking the fans.
Stick a fork in them . . .
They're DONE! Officially - Boston won September 23.
Sept. 26 - The Yankees won Friday's rain soaked game 19-8, against Boston's AAA pitchers. The Yankees and Mets are tied for the most wins in New York! The Mets are in second place in both the NL east and the Wildcard!
On the last day of the season, the Mets LOSE, the Brewers win and the Mets CHOKE OUT again.
It would be a sham if the Mets bring back Jerry Manuel after firing Randolph mid-season.
Sept. 28 - Musina finally won 20 games in a season, the oldest player to get his first 20 game season. Will he or won't he return for 300 wins (270-153)?
Boston wins the last game on Rasner walking three in the 8th. But they didn't go down quietly, tying the game in the 9th, but lose in the 10th. The Yankees finish with the same 89-73 record as the Mets!
The Yankees offence scored an average of 4.87 runs a game.
The Yankee pitchers gave up 4.48 runs a game.
That's too close to win consistently.
In 2007 it was 5.97/4.79 That was the difference, the hitting with runners in scoring position was poor.

Photos from the original Yankee Stadium - Taken at the last game, September 30, 1973.
Additional photos of the exterior of the stadium added September 13, 2008 taken in July 2008.

2008 Post season

Joba the Starter
Game 1 - June 3 Toronto - 2.1 inn - 3K - 4BB - 1ER - 2 Runs - ND - Yanks lose by Bullpen 7 runs
Dan Geise got the loss, but only gave up 1 run the the rest of the bull pen giving up 6 runs in ONE inning
Game 2 - June 8 Kansas City - 4.1 inn - 5K - 1BB - 2ER - 3 Runs - ND - Yanks win by hitting 6-3
Dan Geise got the win (his first) with 2.2 perfect innings.
Game 3 - June 13 Houston - 6 inn - 2K - 4BB (2 IBB) - 1ER - 1 Run - ND - Yanks win on Jeter's HR 2-1
Veras got the win with 2 perfect innings- 3K's. Fansworth got the save.
Game 4 - June 19 San Diego - 5.1 inn - 1 ER - 9K's ND taken out at 100 pitches
Got out of bases loaded no out jam in second inning. Veras got the win in relief.
Game 5 - Pittsburgh - 6.2 inn - 7 K - 0 runs - first win as starter
Game 6 - July 1 - Texas - 4 inn - 2 runs - Rivera lost it in 9th (not blown save)
Game 7 - July 6 - 6 inn - 3 runs - 5K - Yanks win in 10
Game 8 - July 11 - Toronto - 6.2 inn - 9K - 3 runs - then the bullpen failed again
Yanks get but 2 hits off of Halladay.
Game 9 - July 19 - Oakland - 6 inn - 8 K - 1 BB - 1 run - ND.
Yankees had 21 left on base! Veras allows the tying run in 7th, Mo gives up lead in 9th, but Betemit , ties it. Molina gets a walk off HIT By Pitch for the win in 12th.
The last time the Yankees won an a walk off HBP was 1965 (Clete Boyer - 12th inn too)
Game 10 - July 25 - Boston- 7 inn - 3 hits - 9 K - 0 runs - Mo has 5 out save.
Game 11 -July 30 - Baltimore - 6 inn - 2 runs - 1 ER - 6K's - Yanks win 13-3
Game 12 - Aug 4 - Texas - 2 HR - 5K - 2BB - left in 5th hurt shoulder. ND - Yanks tied it in 8th.
But, Yanks lose on Marte giving up a grand slam in the bottom of the 9th.
Joba: 3-1 in starts
Yankees: 8-4 in Joba starts
Joba returns to the bullpen in September. His 2009 season is up in the air for starting/bullpen as he didn't reach the number of innings originally planned for him in 2008.

Return to late news

Martyman (a friend of the JoeKorNer) thinks that the whole failure of the Yankees this year and the lack of a championship since 2000 is all attributed to the new stadium. He figures that the planning for the new stadium must have started in 2001, just about the time that the weak single over Jeter's head in Arizona caused the loss of the World Series. He thinks moving the stadium from it's current footprint has brought a CURSE upon the Yankees! He points to all the strange and tragic events that have taken place since then: losing the 2003 World Series to the upstart Marlins - the 2004 Boston Massacre (we'll never live that one down) - the quick exits from the playoffs - legendary under achievements from the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi (to name but a few) - injuries like Wang's foot (what a wus), Joba's arm, Carl Pavano (pick one), Phil Hughe's rib injury, Hedeki Matsui's knee - and the failure of not one but two promising rookie pitchers to win even one game.

Update November 4, 2009!
The Yankees win their 27^th World Series, so you may ignore the above!

Sorry Martyman - NOT!

2008 Preview

The day after the Yankee loss to Cleveland, the Daily News said that Tony La Russa may become the next Yankee Manager. I hated him when he was with Oakland!
A-Rod is non-committal about excercising his option to stay with the Yankees.
Pettitte has an option to stay
Rivera and Posada can become free agents
Torre is left dangling by management. What a way to treat the guy who brought the team to 12 post season appearances (one less than the Braves). Most of the players want Joe to stay.

It looks like an inside job. Probably knowing that Torre wouldn't stand for a pay cut, the Yankees offered him $5 million for one year, with $1 million in incentives for each level of the playoffs the Yankees win. Like he wasn't trying to win in 2007!
The Torre era is over, with twelve trips to the playoffs, six World Series appearances and four championships. He will be the standard by which future Yankee managers will be measured.
Joe Torre said he went to Tampa with the idea of negotiating from the offer given. The Yankees didn't listen and Joe said at that time he had to walk away.
Joe said:
"The one year ... the incentives; I had been there for 12 years and I felt the motivation wasn't needed."
If the standard is winning the World Series, what does that say about Randy Levine, the president, who came aboard just before the Yankees beat the Mets in 2000. How many WS wins has he been responsible for?
NONE!
October 22 - Yankees begin interviewing Girardi, Mattingly, and Pena for the manager's job. The way I see it, the contract with whomever must have post season incentives. Also, if the Yankees don't make the playoffs in 2008, the manager should get a pay cut or be fired.
Look out guys!
It looks like Posada will get a $40 million three year conrtact.
Mariano Rivera said Torre's departure won't send him packing.
Now Hank Steinbrenner (the Boss's son) says fans have to be patient, the team is in transition.
Is that hedging their bad decisions, or what? They have all stars at most positions and, what most experrts say, are the top one or two young pitchers on the staff. At least three positions are played by future Hall of Famers.
That's in transition?!!
It turns out that there were incentives in Torre's previous contracts (uh oh!).
ESPN Rumors on October 28 - A-Rod to be offered $25 to $30 million for each of 5 years (after the three years in his current contract exipres).
Girardi to be offered the manager's job. That may mean that Bowa and Mattingly are out.
A-Rod is opting out of his contract - no more no-Rod, he's looking for $300 million for 10 years.
He used a lame excuse that he doesn't know what the other free agents will do. The Yankees say they will not bid on him. The word came out with one out in the bottom of the 9th of game 4 of the World Series.
He was also a no-show to receive the Hank Aaron award from the fans for the best offensive player of the season, talk about offensive! Prince Fielder won for the NL, he was there and Hammerin' Hank had high praise for him.
So the self-fulfilling prophesy come true, the Yankees are in transition.
Torre may go the LA (trolley) Dodgers.
October 29 - It's offcial - Griardi is being offered the manager's job at about $6+ million for 3 years. Mattingly will not continue as a Yankees coach and may go to the Dodgers as a coach if Torre takes the manager's job.
November 1 - Joe Torre will be the Dodger manager starting in 2008.
Good luck Joe (except for interleague and WS games agaist the Yankees)
November 3 - The Yankees have taken the option for Bobby Abreu. He scored 123 runs in 2007, second in the AL.
Rumor has it that A-rod was demanding that the Yankees start contract extention talks with $350 million!
November 13 - Jorge Posada agreed to a $52 million four year conrtact.
November 14 - A-Rod, through a third party (not his agent) is trying to work his way back to the Yankees.
Because:There were no takers for his $350 millon -10 year demand,
afraid the Yankees may try for another third baseman,
he really wants to finish as a Yankee,
his wife made him do it?
Do the Yankees want him back - how much of a pay cut will he have to take? The Yankees will only talk without Boras, the agent.
It looks like 10 years for $275 million (plus incentives based on the home run record), this also compensates for the Yankee loss of of the Texas money over the last 3 years of the contract he opted out of. However it give A-Rod the potential for over $300 million.
Now for Rivera (3 years - $45 million - wants 4 years) and a first baseman. Perhaps Lowell from Boston?
(may not be true and resigned with the BoSox)
Jose Molina signed as back up to Posada.
November 19 - A-Rod wins the AL MVP with 26 of 28 first place votes. It was the third time for him and the 22nd for a Yankee.
Rivera agrees to the 3 year $45 million contract.
December 3 - Pettite will return $16 million for the year.
Last question: Will the Yankees trade for Santana?
December 13 - Sen. George Mitchell releases the steroid report. At least 11 Yankees or former Yankees mentioned.
The most surprising: Andy Pettitte (say it ain't so)
Well it was so, but Pettitte said through his agent that he used HGH only twice in conjunction with rehabilitation from an elbow injury in 2002.
Nine Yankees from the last championship team (2000) were in the report.

A-Rod signs the contract - ten years - $275 million
Plus up to an additional $30 million for breaking various home run records.
Oh, he regrets opting out during game four of the World Series.
December 18 - The Yankees announced the schedule for the 2008 and final season at the old Yankee Stadium.


February 13, 2008 - Congressional baseball steriods hearings begin. Opening statement by Rep Waxman (D-Ca) makes it look BAD for Rocket Roger Clemens. Some of the deposed statements by Andy Pettitte directly contradict Clemens' statements. McNamee said that he reported on three players, two of which admitted, but Clemens insists he didn't do steriods.
Here are Rocket's rewards.
February 18 - Andy Pettitte reports to spring training and holds a press conference about his uses of HGH during two times that he was recovering from elbow injuries. He says the use, especially the second time, was stupidity. Someone told him it would help his recovery. He doesn't think it helped, since he now knows it requires a long exposure for it to work.

The 2007 Post Season

2007 In Summary
An awful start, hot middle, and disappointing end.
In the playoff: Jeter, Posada, Matsui were all terrible
A-Rod gets a pass from me
Abreu, Cano, and Damon were good
Overall, the pitching was bad and the offense was non-existent.
It looks more and more that Joe Torre has managaed his last for the Yankees.
In 12 years, 12 postseason appearances, six trips to the World Series and four championships. All this with a boss that second guesses on a dime and some really bad personnel decisions over that time.
The playoff picture
World Series
Boston wins by a sweep - congratulations
The Red Sox now have more WS wins (2) in the 21st Century than the Yankees (0)
Colorado (first time) vs.
Boston - Go Rockies!
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, while in Boston, said he was rooting for Boston in the World Series. Then again, New England has many more Electoral College votes (30) than Colorado (9).
Now only four teams have never been in a World Series: Texas Rangers / Washington Senators(2), Washington Nationals / Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays
American League
ALCS
Red Sox beat the Indians 4-3
ALDS
Boston - East vs.
Anaheim - West
Game 1: Boston 4-0
Game 2: Boston 6-3
Game 3: Boston 9-1
Boston sweeps 3 games
Cleveland - Central vs.
Yankees - Wildcard
Game 1: Cleveland 12-3
Game 2: Bugs 2-Yankees 1
Game 3: Yankees 8-4
Game 4: Cleveland 8-4
Cleveland wins 3-1
Another disappointing end
Jeter, Posada, Matsui were all terrible
A-Rod gets a pass from me
Abreu, Cano were good
Overall, the pitching were bad and the offense was non-existent.
National League
NLCS
Colorado sweeps Arizona 4-0
NLDS
Philadelphia - East (see Mets)
Cubs - Central vs.
Arizona - West
Game 1: Arizona 3-1
Game 2: Arizona 8-4
Game 3: Arizona 5-1
Arizona sweeps 3 games
Wildcard playoff:
San Diego vs. Colorado (both 89-73)
Colorado wins in 13 innings - both teams scored in the 13th!
Trevor Hoffman again blows a critical save!
Philadelphia - East vs.
Colorado - Wildcard
Game 1: Colorado 4-2
Game 2: Colorado 10-5
Game 3: Colorado 2-1
Colorado sweeps 3 games
Mets fans are happy!

2007 Review

It's official - No Bernie.
You win some Yankees win 9-5
Lose some 7-6
and some get rained out.
Six errors in frist two games - No-Rod pops out with bases loaded.
Then when it looked bleakest, Giambi gets it close and A-Rod hits a walk-off grand slam into the black!
So far the starting pitchers haven't gone more than five innings.
After 15 games, there's good news and bad:
A-Rod has earned his early stripes with 12 homeruns (two walk-off) in 15 games.
Mo has blown the only two save opportunities he was faced with. So far the Yankee bullpen has had no saves. All the wins were blowouts or walk offs. The pitching staff flip flopped. At first the starters were bad or injured. Now the bullpen can't hold a lead.
Yankees at Boston: Mo blows a save for Pettitte, the rookie pitchers give up runs, but the Yankees with key hitters out, still manage 17 runs in three games off the star Boston pitchers.
Yankees are 8-9, 4 games behind, in 3rd place.
Boston at Yankees: Better late than never, Mo records the first save on 4/28 to break a seven game losing streak.
But then they stink up the house that Ruth Built.
The pitching is bad and the most of the lineup is in a slump. Last palce 6½ games behind Boston.
It's only May!
May 6, 2007 - Wang pitches perfectly into the 8th with one out.
Yankess win 8-1 and 5-0 against Seattle after getting blown out 15-11 on Friday.
The Rocket is back! Clemens signs to start in June.
May 14, 2007 - I don't want to talk about it. 17-19 and 8 games out. If the hitters hit, the pitchers give up more runs. If the pitchers pitch a gem the hitters don't hit!
Damon thinks it's over. How sad.
May 16, 2007 - The beginning of what might be the end...
Lose 2 of 3 to White Sox, then lose 2 of 3 to the Mets. It takes another rookie debut to beat them, but Mo gives up another homer. (Is anyone looking for a new closer?)
19-23 - 10½ games behind Boston.
They lost their swagger.
Won 2 from Boston, but swept by the Angels.
June 1 - Not that he's been hitting, now Giambi is out at least 3 weeks, perhaps for the season.
June 2, 2007 - Clemens is scratched from his 2007 debut with a "fatigued right groin"
He might pitch over next weekend.
Yankees pull out 2 of 3 from Boston with A-Rod getting the winning Home Run in the 9th and Mo getting the save .
They beat Boston's two best bullpen pitchers Sunday night!
June 8, 2007 - Joe Torre became the first person to get 2000+ hits as a player and 2000+ wins as a manger!
June 9, 2007 - The Rocket wins, giving up 3 runs in 6 innings.
June 10, 2007 - Up to six wins a row and 8 of 10. A-Rod two home runs against Pittsburgh.
Mets don't help in AL wild card by losing 2 of 3 to Detroit!
Boston is 4-6 in last 10 games.
June 18 - took 2 of 3 from the Mets, and went 9-1 in the last ten. But lost a game to Boston, who swept the Giants.
8½ games back (3½ in the wild card). Second in runs scored.
Then they fall of a Rocky cliff and face a Giant task, which they foul up!
Late June-Early July - No hitting, poor bullpen. Is it April again?
Pitcher Kei Igawa can't get past the 4th inning.
Andy Pettitte gets bombed after not getting any support.
The Rocket keeps fizzling out.
Almost everyone is in a slump, what's the batting coach doing?
July 3 - Torre has shaken up the line up and they win 2 from the Twins.
Then they faced Santana (two unanimous Cy Young Awards)
After 81 games they are 3 games under .500.
July 9 - at the All Star break - so far the season has had its ups and downs and it's a Long (hitting coach) season. Inconsistant hitting and pitching and for half the games they couldn't get both together.
In the East they're in 3^rd place 10 games behind.
In the wild card they're in 6 ^th place 8½ games out.
I'm NOT ready to say it's over now.
A-Rod (most votes) & Jeter will start in the All Star game. Posada is the back up catcher.
Starting the last few games of the first half, they are 14-5, breaking ties and comming from behind, and outscoring Tampa 49-26 in a four game set that they lost the first game 14-4!
July 30 - They lost 3 in a row, but won 1½ games in Baltimore (the half was the suspended game). They've won all but one series since the break.
A-Rod is looking for HR #500. It's been four games since 499. If he had hit one in the suspended game, he would have 500 now, since the all the HR's since then would jump up one in the count. He had two chances with the bases loaded on Sunday, but couldn't connect. No one has made #500 a grand slam.
August 4 - He hit the first pitch for a 3 run HR off of Kyle Davies, who was just traded from Atlanta, welcome to the AL!
8/7 - Oh yeah, Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run
August 13 - So Boston pays a premium for relief pitcher Eric Gagne and he gives up 7 runs in 4 innings!
Then two 21 year olds (Hughes and Chamberlain) for the Yankees help the Yanks sweep the Indians in Cleveland!
(Is Brian Cashman a genius or what?)
The Yankees are 4 games behind in the AL East and tied for the lead in the wild card.
And the Yankees (66-51 .564) have a better record than the Mets(65-52 .556)
The Scooter, Phil Rizzuto passed away on August 14.
August 20 - The Yankees are 4 games out in the east Boston fans think they have moved from the rearview mirror to the back seat!
They are ½ game behind Seattle in the wildcard, but have played 3 more games - 1 more win.
The Yankees lead the majors in runs scored (735) and lead the AL in batting, on base percentage, and slugging.
August 27 - Lost the road trip with one more game tonight. Boston visits the stadium tomorrow!
August 30 - The Yankees sweep BOSTON. Among other things:
Pettitte (12-7) beats Daisuke Matsuzaka (13-11)
Clemens no hits them for 5.1 innings
Wang (16-6) no hits them for 6 innings
Cano hits 2 HR off of Schilling
The bullpen is great (though Fanrsworth did give up a 2 run HR)
The Yankees again maul Hideki Okajima (1.17 ERA)
The Tampa Bay comes in and the Yankees lose 2 of 3! How sad.
But another young pitcher, Ian Kennedy, does well in his debut.
Yankees are 6 out in the east, but lead the wild card by 2 games, with Seattle (9 losses) coming in for three games.
September 10 - Yankees are 5½ games out in the east and 4 games AHEAD in the wild card.
A-Rod has more clutch hits this season than in any in the past and has hit 52 home runs. That's the Yankee righthander season record and the major league record for a third baseman (it had been the Phils' Mike Schmidt)
September 15 - Started a 9 game road trip 5-1 (the loss was 2-1 heartbreaker - with the bullpen depleated)
On to Boston!
Game 1 - 8-7 Yankees. They beat Boston again in a game Matsuzaka started. They had Matsuzaka on the ropes, but couldn't break through.
In the 8th they scored 6 runs, mauling Hideki Okajima again and giving Jonathan Papelbon the loss!
Game 2 - So Beckett (19-6) outlasted Wang (18-7) for the Cy Young and the game - Yankees lose 10-1.
Game 3 - Sunday night baseball! Jeter stuns Schilling (8-8) in the 8th with a 3 run homer! Yankees hold on for 4-3 win!
Chamberlain (2-0) gets the win, but gives up his first earned run (ERA-.50).
So the road trip ends 7-2 with the Yankees 2½ ahead in the wild card.
Boston would have to collapse for the Yankees to take the east.
The Yankees (85-64) have better record than the Mets (83-65)!
September 24 - Everything is falling into place!
The Yanks are 1½ games behind Boston (who clinched at least the wildcard) in the east.
Their magic number for clinching the wildcard is 2 games.
They had a fitting tribute to the Scooter on Sunday.
September 26 - The Yankees clinch at least the wildcard with a 12-4 win over Tampa
(OK, so I didn't root for the Rays!)
Wang got the win for his 19th win - the first Yankee since Tommy John to with more than 19 in two straight seasons.
Meanwhile, across the river, the other team was in 1^st place since May, has been tied for 1^st by the Phillies!
9/28 - now the Mets are in 2^nd place and in danger of missing the playoffs!
But John Maine pitched a no hitter through 8 innings on 9/29 and the Phillies lost, so they are tied again. It comes down to Sunday, the 162nd game!

Boston took the east when Rivera blew a save (he is human) against Baltimore (who have killed the yankees this season).
And on the last day, it's over. The Mets complete the collapse by losing to the Marlins 8-1 at Shea, while the Phillies beat the Nationals.
The Yankees finish 94-68 for the season.
See the Playoff Review

2007 Preview

Is Joe Torre done?
Will Sweet Lou Manage?
10/10/06 - Torre says he spoke to Steinbrenner, who said Torre will remian the manager So no Lou.
10/17/06 Lou Piniella will manage the Cubs.
Will Choke-Rod be traded to Chicago?
But which team? - The ChiSox have more to offer.
10/25 His agent says that Cashman said there are no plans to trade him.
Will Bernie Return?
What about Moose, Wrong (I mean Wright), and the Boo Unit?
Fasano and Green become free agents.
Stay tuned for As the Bombers Turn
Surgery for Giambi, Johnson, and Phillips
Who will coach?
Pena and Bowa may get manager jobs. Girardi is available.
The new Collecive Bargaining Agreement between the owners and players was signed 10/24/2006. The old one was to expire in December. The new CBA will be in effect until 2011.
Don Mattingly (Donnie Baseball) was named bench coach. Lee Mazzilli is out.
Joe Girardi to YES Network(?)
11/10/06 - Gary Sheffield has his $13 million contract option picked up and is traded to the Tigers for minor league pitchers:
Humberto Sanchez, Kevin Whelan and Anthony Claggett, all right-handers
11/12/06 - Wright is traded to Baltimore for right-handed reliever Chris Britton.
11/28/06 - Mike Mussina signed to $23 million for two years.
12/8/2006 - Yankees sign Andy Pettitte to a one year, $16 million contract.
Is the Rocket far behind?
I'm still not getting my hopes up for a WS win in 2007
12/25/2006 - The Boo Unit is on the trade block?
Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa gets a five-year, $20 Million contract.
1/4/2007 the Boo Unit is gone!
Traded to Arizona for 3 pitchers and a minor league shortstop
It looks like firstbaseman Doug Mientkiewicz is on his way to NY. He will platoon while Giambi is full time DH.
1/7/2007 - Miguel Cairo agrees to terms of a one-year contract.
Where does all this leave Bernie?Out in the cold, it appears.
1/23/2007 - Robinson Cano switched his uniform number from 22 to 24. Is the Rocket behind this?
1/25/2007 - Bobby Murcer thanks fans for prayers for his fight against cancer.
1/31/2007 - Commissioner Bud Selig officially announced that Yankee Stadium will host the 2008 All Star Game on July 15^th. This is the fourth time the House that Ruth Built will host the game. New York City also hosted four other games at the Polo Grounds, Ebbets Field, and Shea Stadium.
2/6/2007 - Third baseman Alex Rodriguez wrote a children's book, Out of the Ballpark, in which a secondbaseman named Alex wins a ballgame after making an error earlier in the game.
(wishful thinking?)
2/10/2007 - In a number of interviews it appears that the Yankees may offer a non-roster invite to Bernie Williams to spring training. Will he accept? He's not saying yet.
2/20/2007 - Bernie says No thanks
No-Rod says he and the Captain are no longer off field best of friends!
2/27/2007 - Pavano hurt his foot (will he pitch?)
Abreu is out for 2 weeks - will Bernie be offered anything?
3/9/2007 - Pavano cancels one start and pitches well in another.
3/14/2007 - A-Rod now says it's up to New York fans if he will stay beyond 2007.
With a week to go, some pitching questions, no Bernie, but a good spring!
Let's Go Yankees!
Back to top of 2007 news

2006 Baseball Review
with an unabashed prejudice toward the Yankees

The 2006 Post Season

11/21/2006 - No MVP for the captain - but he did get the Silver Slugger and Hank Aaron awards.
11/3/2006 - Yankee shortstop and captain,Derek Jeter, won his third consecutive Gold Glove in 2006.
He committed only 13 errors and fielded at .975
Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals
Beat Detroit 4-1 in the World Series
Interesting side note about the World Series:
Tony La Russa is the second manager to win a WS in each league
Won with the Oakland A's - 1989
Jim Leyland won with the Florida Marlins - 1997 could have also been the second
Sparky Anderson did it with Detroit and Cincinnati
Who is that guy, Jeff Weaver?
Released by the LA Angels (of Anaheim) to make room for his brother.
Sorry Mets Fans,
St. Louis takes the NLCS 4-3
Game 7: 1-1 until the 9th inning! St. Louis 3-1
Detriot takes the ALCS 4-0
Money Ball can't win championships!
Manager Ken Macha gets fired by Billy Beane, author of Money Ball.
Who is that guy and what did he do with the real Kenny Rogers?
Three wins (ALDS, ALCS, WS) no runs allowed. This guy had NEVER won a post season game.
Gave up 11 runs for the Yankees and Mets in two appearances. Lost game for Mets with bases loaded walk.
Oh, he had pine tar on his hand! So he cheated. Unfortunately the video can't be used to prove it. Besides he only gave up one hit after he cleaned his hand.

New York Yankees Pitcher Cory Lidle was killed on 10/11/2006 when the plane he was piloting crashed into a 50 story building on Manhattan's east side.

Divison Series:
Congratulations to the Mets, Detroit, Oakland
and St. Louis for making it to the LC Series!
Yankees vs Detroit
Game 1: Yankees 8-4
Jeter 5-5 with a HR - Abreu 4 RBI - Giambi HR
Game 2: Detroit 4-3
Damon 3 run HR and that's it
Mussina had a 3-1 lead and blew it away. It was all down hill from there.
Choke-Rod 3 strike outs - what's $25 million for?
Game 3: Detroit 6-0
Five hits off K. Rogers who couldn't pitch in the playoffs before.
The Boo Unit was pathetic, but the 3rd base umpire didn't help.
And Choke-Rod was 0-3, Damon 0-4, Giambi 0-4
It's over Game 4: Detroit 8-3
Scoreless over 20 innings. no hits till the 6th.
I'm rooting to Tampa Bay -
I won't be disappointed
Mets vs Dodgers
Game 1: Mets 6-5 (only in NY Baseball)
Game 2: Mets 4-1
Game 3: Mets 9-5
Minnesota vs Oakland
Game 1: Oakland 3-1
Game 2: Oakland 5-2
Game 3: Oakland 8-3
First Oakland win since 1990!
St. Louis vs San Diego
Game 1: St. Louis 3-1
Game 2: St. Louis 2-0
Game 3: San Diego 3-1
Game 4: St. Louis 6-2
Regular Season

In 2006 I'm rooting for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
because I know I won't be disappointed.
OK, just kidding

Only in New York
can a professional baseball player get a base hit and it turns into a double play:
10/4/2006 - Mets vs Dodgers
Martin got a single and Kent and Drew got tagged out at the plate by LoDuca
8/2/1985 - Yankees vs. White Sox
Henderson singles and Mecham and D. Berra get tagged out by Fisk.
Fisk saw them both coming, Lo Duca didn't see the second guy, but got a clue from the umpire's reaction
Back to Post Season

Regular Season - Random Comments
Read the latest
Opening day at Yankee stadium:
Jeter wins it with a 3 run home run in the 8th.
It was the 9th home opening day win in a row - a league record.
There was something wrong with Wong
April 29, 2006. The Yankees tie a major league record of scoring in all eight (8) innings of a home game. It's nver been done by a visiting team, score in all nine (9) innings.
They are in second place, 1 game behind Boston and have out scored opponents 140-90. that's projected to 1060 runs for the season.
Then on May 9, a new low for the team, the Boo Unit gives up 7 runs (2 earned) had two wild pitches. Choke-Rod commited two errors, goes 0-3 and grounds into a double play. They lose 14-3 to Boston.
They are still in second place 1 game behind Boston. They have outscored their opponents 186-134 and are projected to score 1004 runs.
The week beginning May 11 it got worse. With mediocre pitching by Shawn Chacon, some stellar and some sloppy plays, they lose again to Boston, but worse lose Hideki Matsui for at least three months with a broken wrist.
As an aside, Hideki Matsui lost his consecutive game streak, which stood at 518 with New York and 1,768 overall.
They are still in second place 1 game behind Boston. They have outscored their opponents 196-142 and are projected to score 992 runs.
With Matsui and Shefield out now, is Soriano due to return or will they go to the farm or get someone else?
Wang became right and Wright became wrong, but then they both became good.
They are in first place, but is that because Boston has been rained out two days in a row?
The Boo Unit failed again 4 runs in 6 innings and Choke-Rod had another error
Then on May 16, they go down 9-0, come back to go ahead 11-10, go down 12-11 and win on a walk off homer by Posada in the bottom of the 9th. This was the first time in history that a team down 9-0 wins on a walk off homer. And the first 14-13 score in Yankee Stadium (including football games)
'Subway Series' Round #1 (May 19-21)
Game 1: Yankees go up 4-0 and lose in 9.
Game 2: Mets go up 4-0 and get tied in 9th and lose in 11th.
In each case the team's closer lost or blew the save.
Game 3: Mets won 4-3. But Yankess left 15 on base.
On May 22, the outfield batted 7, 8, & 9!
June 1 (52 games): After Farnsworth snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, his third, the Yankees are in 2nd place ½ game behind Boston.
They have the most runs scored in the Majors. This with Sheffield, Matsui on the DL and Jeter out for 2 games.
Mariano Rivera injured his back before the game.
Farnsworth then blew a save in the next game, but Jeter drove in the wining run in the 9th and Farnsworth got the win.
The bullpen blew a third save in a row (Proctor), but Damon hit a home run and Wang got the save!
Scary note: On June 15, the Mets (41-23) and Detroit (42-24) are 1-2 in overall record
The Yankees are second in total runs (366) and
are in 1^st place by 1 game ahead of Boston.
By late June the bullpen completely fell apart.
but the Yankees are second in the majors in runs scored.
On June 25, they were shut out for the first time by Anibal Sanchez and the Marlins bullpen.
Then things got worse - The bullpen collapsed again and again and the offense disappeared
and the Yankees are falling further behind in runs scored and the wild card race.
But when all seemed lost and Atlanta had gone ahead 3-2 in th 12^th, A-Rod hit a 2 run walk off home run to win it.
Thanks for nothing to the Mets, they get swept by Boston.
The Marlins did what the Mets couldn't! (one out of three anyway)
'Subway Series' Round #2 (June 30, July 1-2)
Game 1: Yankees shut down Mets 2-0 on a 5 pitcher one hitter
Game 2: The Boo Unit was awful Mets win 8-3
Game 3: Then Wright was very wrong, but the Yankees came from behind!
Including 2 home runs by A-Rod.
Yankees win 16-7
The Mid Season Review:
At the All Star Break - 86 games played
2006: 50-36, 2nd place 3 games behind
2005: 46-40, 3rd place 2.5 games behind
All in all, not bad. Boston is right where the Yankees want them, in 1^st place by 3 games.
Thank you Chicago! Beat Boston in 19 innings 6-5 in last game..
The bullpen over used, but now improving since the staters are improving.
All of the starters had ups and downs, except Mussina.
By the end of the half season Johnson and Wang were doing well, Small is gone and Chacon is going. Wright seems to have righted himself.
The last game was pitched by Kris Wilson, who only lasted 2-1/3 innings. The bullpen is improving because three pitchers are able to go at least 6 innings.
But then fell apart again in the last game, giving up a 5-3 lead.
With the injuries (Matsui, Sheffield, Cano), The Yankees are 4^th in runs scored.
1000 seems out of the question now. They would need to average almost 7 runs a game to do that.
Choke-Rod is not a clutch hitter by any means. Put him up with the game on the line, he'll strike out or hit into a double play.
All Star Game - Pittsburgh
With 2 outs and nobody on in the top of the 9^th, with an 0-2 count on Michael Young, the batter, the the NL snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with a blown save by Trevor Hoffman (460 career saves). A 2-1 NL score became 3-2 AL score and Mariano Rivera, of the NY Yankees got the save.
BTW, two players from the other NY team scored each of the NL's runs. And lost the MVP honors to Michael Young of Texas, who drove in the 2 runs.This was the 10th time in a row the NL didn't win the All Star game.
It's the fourth time the AL won home field advantage for the following World Series.
Returning from the break the Yankees sweep Chicago
Then choke-rod can't throw an out to save himself
And Mo gave up a walk off home run
At the end of July, things looked much better. Both Sox teams took a little slide, while (except for Toronto) the Yankees won all of their series. This put them in a virtual tie with Boston for the East and with Chicago and Boston for the wild card. Then the trades made, bringing Sal Fasano (C), Bobby Abreu(OF), Cory Lidle(P), and Craig Wilson (OF,1B,C) to the team.
I don't know what's worse losing a one hitter (August 6 against Baltimore) or losing a 1 run game where you leave 15 men on base (Chicago August 10).
Boston again for five games in four days! (8/18 to 8/21). The Yankees start 1½ games ahead in the AL East. with Boston 3^rd in the wild card.
Boston Massacre II
Games 1 & 2, a split double header.
Game 1: Yanks 12-4
Key: walk Oritz when he can do damage.
Game 2: see-saw to Yanks win 14-11
Yanks 5-4, 7-5, Sox 10-7, Yanks 14-11 with 7 in the 7th.
Game sets ML record for length of 9 inning game, 4:45! 34 hits between them. 19 pitchers threw 756 pitches in 2 games!
Game 3: Yankees 13-5. 39 runs in 3 games agaist the Sox
The first time the Sox gave up 12 or more runs in 3 straight games and within about 28 hours - 1:00PM Friday to 5:00PM Saturday.
It's the third time the Yankees did it. They also did it in May 1936 and in May 1998.
Game 4: Yankees 8-5. Another see saw, pitting Mussina aganist Schilling. This too became a battle of the bullpens & closers.
Papelbon couldn't hold the Yankees and Rivera got the win as the Yankees tied it in the ninth and won it in the tenth.
Game 5: Yankees 2-1
The first 5 game sweep at Fenway since 1943!
David (Boomer) Wells was great, but Cory Lidle was better.
Yankees outscored the Sox 49-26.
The Yankees are 6½ games AHEAD of the Red Sox.
As of 8/20 the Yankees lead the majors in runs scored.
Then on 8/25, Choke-Rod struk out FOUR times - and reached on an error (0-5) $25 million for what?
He also had SIX strikeouts in a row going back to the last at bat on 8/23
8/27 - good news - RBI single - bad news three more strikeouts
Proctor loses what would have been his first save with two walks and a homerun (9 bad pitches not 1)
End of August review:
First place, 8 games ahead of Boston.
By the end of August A-Rod was 0-24. But on 8/31, he goes 3-4 with 2 RBI.
Boston trades Boomer Wells to San San Diego - many key player hurt or sick, is the east over?
Matsui returns 9/12 goes 4-4 with a walk
And I get a batting practice 'home run' (Box 664 C-16 - Left field tier boxes)
Jeter goes 0-0 with four walks and a HBP, Torre takes him out in 7th breaking a 21 game hit streak.
Jeter said he wasn't going to catch Joe D. anyway!
But Rule 10.24(b): CONSECUTIVE GAME HITTING STREAKS see bottom of the page - Baseball Almanac.
A consecutive game hitting streak shall not be terminated if all the player's plate appearances (one or more) result in a base on balls, hit batsman, defensive interference or a sacrifice bunt. The streak shall terminate if the player has a sacrifice fly and no hit.
Oh, and Abreu got 6 RBI in the 1st inning and 7 in the game - the 7th came a foot low from being a grand slam!
And this says much:

September 20, 2006, the Yankees lose to Toronto, but
Minnesota beat Boston allowing the Yankees to clinch the AL East championship!
Oh, by the way, this is the first time the Yankees and the other New York team each won their division east title in the same year.
With 2 games to go, the Yankees clinched home field through the playoffs on 9/29/06. They also tied with the other NY team for best record in baseball.
Both are 97-65 with 50-31 home and 47-34 Road records! How's that for even?
The Yankees finish 97-65. Toronto 2nd and Boston in 3rd
Jeter and Cano miss the batting title to Mauer of Minnesota. Mauer is first catcher in AL to win batting title. But he did have some rest as DH through the season.
Other interesting things:
After being in first place most of the season, Detroit winds up the wild card (lost last five games)
St. Louis came close to being shut out of the post season (lost 7 of last 10 games)

See the Post Season

Season Preview
So we lose Gordon, get Farnsworth who helped Atlanta lose in the playoffs.
They liked Giles for CF, though that became a dead deal.
At the last minute they extend talking to Bernie W!
Then signed him for one year as DH
Nomar Garciaparra to play first base?
the three best shortstops of the late 1990's all playing the Yankee infield!
He went to Brooklyn... I mean the Dodgers
Octavio Dotel signs with the Yankees.
He is recovering from elbow surgery. He will be available mid-season
Crosby to start in center? Until . . .
Johnny Damon was signed!
But when he cuts his hair, will he lose his powers?
Look at what happend to Giambi and Johnson!
Miguel Cairo is back as a utility infielder!
As the season starts:
Some pitchers will start the season on the DL
Yankees have four coaches who were managers
On paper, a great lineup.
But we all know what that paper is worth!

2005 Baseball Review
with an unabashed prejudice toward the Yankees

In 2006 I'm rooting for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
because I know I won't be disappointed.
OK, I'm kidding!

A-Rod wins MVP
Lots of home runs and hits, but little in clutch.
He edged out Boston's David Ortiz,
clutch hitting designated hitter.

Congratulations to the Chicago White Sox for winning the 2005 World Series.
The longest cursed streak is still the Cubs, who haven't won since 1908. How will this play in the windy city in 2006?
The Nationl League teams have now lost 8 straight games since the Marlins beat the Yankees in game 6 of the 2003 series.

It seems that overriding everything else this year, the umpiring is terrible and in the playoffs in particular. At one time the umpires were rewarded with playoffs and WS games on merit. If these are the best. . .
I have never seen so many missed and bad calls in all the years of watching baseball. I'm not even talking about ones that need a replay (which cannot be used in baseball) to determine what happened. Between the dropped third strikes that weren't, tags made without the ball, and a bunch of downright bad ball/strike calls, I will be surprised if MLB doesn't crack down on the quality of the umpires this off season.

2005 World Series
Houston-never in WS vs
Chicago WS - hasn't won since 1917 (and threw 1919 series)
Who to root for? There is a formerYankee starting rotation with Hernandez, Contreras, Clemens, and Pettitte in the World Series.
Game 1: Chicago wins 5-3
Contreras wins, Clemens out hurt after only two innings
Game 2: Chicago wins 7-6 (a back and forth battle)
Pettitte off hook for loss
Ex-Yankee J Vizcaino drives in tying runs in top of 9th
Podsednik (no homers in 500+ at bats) wins it with a walk off HR.
Roof opened or closed? - Does it matter?
Houston couldn't score with 34 men left on base through the series. 15 in the 14 inning game 3 at home
Game 3:Chicago wins 7-5 in 14 innings
Houston ties it in the 8th and had men in scoring position in a number of extra innings, but couldn't come through.
Longest WS game in history
Game 4:Chicago sweeps 1-0
First 1-0 game since 1996 Yankees vs. Braves
Former Yankee starters from both teams
One win, two no decisions in three starts. Two injured.

Houston managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory in game 5. St. Louis was down 4-2 with two outs in the 9th.
Then a single, a walk and a DEEP home run by Albert Pujols wins the game for the Cardinals.
To be continued. . .
Houston did make it into the World Series for the first time by beating the Cardinals 5-1 in game 6.

The Houston team (Colt .45's / Astros) was created 45 years ago on 10/17
and the Colts football team scored 45 points
- the day they almost won.

Chicago kicks out the Angels in five games. In the five games the Chicago starters pitched all but 2/3 of an inning. The four consecutive wins (the Angels won the first on adreneline), were all complete games. The bull pen pitcher threw a total of 7 pitches.
The White Sox haven't won a pennant since 1959 and a World Series since 1917.
They (the Black Sox) threw the 1919 WS. Is this the year of redemption?

More of less with a $200,000,000 payroll
(I just wanted to see the number one more time)
Yankees win game 1: 4-2
Musina, the best .500 pitcher wins
Angels win game 2: 5-3
Wang tough loss when defense goes down
Angels win game 3: 11-7
Johnson's crap out
Yankees win game 4: 3-2
Leiter gets his first post season win since 1993
Angels win game 5: 5-3
Musina had tough luck and then got clobbered
Johnson pitched like he was supposed to, but it was too late
A-Rod-no-rod, sheff, godzilla, all busted
Bernie's last stand?

And the Red Sox are dethroned in three games. El Duque gets out of a bases loaded no out inning. The next Boston win will be in 2090!
Renteria, who made the last out in the 2004 WS for the Cardinals, made the last out in the ALDS for Boston this year!
The Chicago White Sox haven't won since 1917.

San Diego, with a bearly over .500 win-loss, loses the NLDS in 3 games!

Braves-Astros game 4: first time in one post season game, two grand slams! Then the game goes 18 innings with Clemens getting the win in relief when Burke hits a walk off homer!
Atlanta chokes again. Up 6-1 in the 8th, becomes 6-5 on the Berkman grand slam and tied in the 9th with 2 out by the Ausmus home run.
And the same fan caught the Berkaman and Burke home runs. He's giving both to the Hall of Fame

There were many changes for the Yankees in 2005
A whole new starting rotation
Randy (The Big (inconsistant)Unit) Johnson is the ace (sometimes)?
The low point 8/21: 3 homers in a row, then 2 singles and another homer in ONE inning to Chicago
The high point was going 5-0 against Boston, the team he was brought in to beat.
However he did pitch five great games against Boston, including the clincher.
Tino Martinez is back.
How will Jason (I'm sorry for something, I can't say what) Giambi play?
(Cold - HOT - Cold)
After a dismal start (and the fact that the Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2000),
I turned in my special NYY license plates on 5/6.
on 5/15 Joe Torre won his 1800th game as manager
Randy Johnson won his 250th game
& the Yankees are at .500
As of 5/27, they are 16-2
I like to think that the streak was because I turned in the plates
Then they lose six in a row, including a sweep by the Royals.
What's $200 million paying for?

At the mid point (81 games 7/4/05):
In 3rd place 42-39
The starting pitching is suspect at best
Wang seems to have the 'Wright stuff' (but Wang is hurt, but returned strong)
Offense is good (#3 in runs), but can't hit in the clutch
(only 11 come-from-behind comebacks this year - they had 28 by this time in 2004)
The bullpen only has three good pitchers
Sturtz, Gordon, and Rivera
And from nowhere to Yankee stardom:
Robinson Cano (14 HR, 62 RBI .295 BA in 131 games)
Aaron Small (10-0) 'Career minor leaguer '
Shawn Chacon (7-3 2.76 ERA(from Rockies oblivion))

Chien-Ming Wang (8-5 4.02 ERA in 18 games)
The above pitchers saved the Yankees season going a combined 25-8
Update 10/1
They WON the East!
And Johnson returns to being the big craper by giving up lots of hard outs and a pair of homers (5 runs total) by the third inning of game 3, the one he was supposed to win. Then the Yankees tied it, but the bull pen gave it all back and more. At least the Red Sox are out.

Poor Willie and Mazzilli
Two former Yankee coaches:
Maz was fired after the Orioles played poorly.
(Even though they were in first place)
I don't think Willie knew what hit him
(except for the Subway Sandwich)

My congratulations to the Red Sox
for winning the 2004 World Series

The hunt for the Red October!
Red Birds vs. Red Sox

The curse will only end if the Red Sox win it all -
and they did. The curse is done! for now
The next Boston championship in 2090?

In 2003 the Boston slogan was 'Cowboy Up! Kevin Millar
in 2004 they are the Idoits Johnny Damon
Are they the now the Cowboys and Idiots?©Joe Korman
The cowboys and idiots won (or did the Yankees collapse)?

2004 AL Division Series Champions

Three come from behind victories beat Minnesota 3-1
in Division Series

A-Rod doubles, steals third and comes home on a wild pitch

Two run walk off HR by Bernie Williams clinches regular season

Third year in a row with 100 wins - never done by Yankees before
7th year in a row of division champs!
241 home runs - franchise record
Sixty-one come from behind wins
is that good, or proof about the NYY starters?
The Yankees finished 101-61. With 61 come from behind victories
they could have lost 122 game!
The loss to Boston proves it!

4th year in a row with no World Series win

As promised by sweet Lou, Tampa Bay did NOT finish in the cellar!

There were many changes for the Yankees in 2004
No lefthanded starters
Mussina is the ace? (NOT!)
Bernie Williams may become the DH
(I had an appendectomy too, can I play?)
A-Rod becomes the new thirdbaseman

2003 AL Champions

In the end, 2003 was disappointing

Done in by the fish!

2003 AL East Champions
101-61-1 Best record in Baseball
tied with the Atlanta Braves (who used to play in Boston)

Beat the Twins 3-1

1918
The curse continues - Yankees win the 7th game in the 11th inning
The last game 7 played at the stadium was 1957 when the Yankees lost to the Milwaukee Braves who used to play in ...
Boston

Other MLB happenings

2002 AL East Champions

It looked like it was going to be a good season!
But it was only half good
2002 an all wild (card), all California World Series

The SF Giants have the
'Curse of leaving the BIG APPLE'©
2002, Joseph D. Korman
They haven't won it all since they left NY.

2001 AL Champions

The Second Season
Down 0-2 and come back to beat Oakland
116 wins mean NOTHING Yankees 4 - Seattle 1

But ... the Snakes from Arizona . . .

We got snakebit in games 1 and 2
We bit the snake in game 3 and
bit it hard and late in games 4 & 5
We got bit hard in game 6
And there's no joy in Mudville,
the mighty Mo blew the save!

2000 World Champions

2000 World Series

Mets? What sport do they play?

Game 5 - Yankees take series 4-1
Sojo lights up Leiter's 142nd pitch, after a classic pitching duel
Why didn't Valentine pull Leiter after 141 pitches?
Piazza flies out to end it!
Jeter Series MVP
Game 4 - Yankees lead 3-1
Jetter leads with home run! Neagle starts, Cone pitches, Bullpen holds 3-2
Game 3 - The Mets win Yanks lead 2-1
Game 2 - Yanks hold on 6-5 - Lead Series 2-0
Clemens loses cool in first (What's up? He's still a loser)
Game 1 - Yanks tie it in 9th and win it in 12th 4-3
Vizcaino goes 4-6 and gets winning hit!

2000 League Championship Series
Game 6 - Yankees come from behind and take series
Justice comes through in clutch, Rivera gets E. Martinez to end game
Game 5 - Seattle wins - Yanks lead 3-2
Neagle didn't have it,
but Gooden and Cone held on
Yanks left 14 on base.
Back to NY on Tuesday
Game 4 Yankees lead series 3-1
Clemens comes through with 1 hitter and 15 K's, but...
it wasn't a must win situation.
Game 3 - Yanks go up 2-1
The offense is back! 8-2
Game 2 - Yanks tie series
The missing offense returned in the 8th
scoring 7 runs after being shutout for over 20 innings
Welcome back - hope you can stay!
Game 1 - Seattle jumps on top 1-0
Neagle was OK, the Offense was MIA

Yankees 2000 Division Champs
Win Series 3-2
Game 5 - The bullpen comes through
6 runs in the first were just enough!
Game 4 - Clemens couldn't start it
All in favor of dumping this Boston loser raise your hand
Game 3 - El Duque, Sojo, Justice, Rivera shine
Send A's up the Hudson
Game 2 - Pettitte shuts down A's
Game 1 - Clemens couldn't hold it

1999 WORLD Champs

1999 World Series
Yankees (4) vs. Braves (0)
Two sweeps in a row!
12 WS games in a row!

O'Neill rocks Rocker! Yanks 4-1
Yanks mill Millwood Yanks 7-2
Yanks gladhand Glavine Yanks 6-5 in 10
Curtis HR, Martinez, Knobloch ties in 8th
Curtis wins it in the 10th
Yanks Smolder Smoltz 4-1
Clemens 'becomes' a Yankee

1999 American League Champions
Beat Texas (again 3-0)
Beat Boston (4-1) (is it the curse of the bambino?)
No subway series - Mets lose 4-2 maybe next year!
Any Yankee fan could tell you that Leiter and Rogers can't pitch under pressure

Yankees are 11-3 in Subway Series

Lost to Giants in 1921 and 1922
Lost to (Trolley) Dodgers in 1955

E-mail to the Team Manager