Ballgame. Over.

Welcome to the second coming of my attempted baseball blog. I used to do the “Borg Baseball Blog” but got caught up in retirement and things more important but always missed the thrill of baseball commentary. It came back this past week as the dad of a baseballplayer living with us came to visit. We went to games together and talked about baseball and suddenly the urge was back. My son, BusinessBoy would be proud as I used his mantra “reduce, reuse, rebrand’ in putting together “Baseball. Over”. This name comes from the infamous Yankee radio voice, John Sterling, who ends every winning game with the phrase “Ballgame over. Yankees win. The Yankees win” in his exaggerated radio voice. I cannot think of anything better than sitting watching and talking about a game in which your team wins. Thus “Ballgame, Over”.  I hope to write at least one post during or after each Yankees series, which will ultimately conclude with a World Series post about the Champion New York Yankees. Hey, it’s my blog, you get my dreams. So we begin.

Understand that I am a life long Yankee fan, having rooted for them for the past 53 years. However, after ling in NYC for almost 30n years, the next chapter of my life was spent in the heart of Boston baseball and I was never allowed to forget that fact. I figured I would retire to a place where I could live out my baseball watching time in peace only to find myself again in the den of vipers, Red Sox fan. I just can’t win.

This past weekend, the Yankees took on a hated rival. A rivalry that has paled a bit the past few years as the Boston Red Sox have moved away from their magic 2004 season in which they broke an 87-year-old curse (my fault, I will explain one day) by winning the World Series. Currently in last place, this year’s Sox have continued the tone of last September when they totally collapsed in the last month of the season in a celebrated (by Yankee fans) debacle of egos, alcohol and gluttony. The management of the club “fixed the problem” by forcing out the general manager and the manager, as if they were the ones drinking and eating fried chicken on the bench during the games. It is possible they may never recover from this (again, my blog, my dreams).

The Yankees just won 3 of 4 up in Beantown, totally outplaying the Sox through hitting, pitching and bullpen use. The Sox were behind in the first inning in all 4 games,, a hole the Sox could scarcely crawl out of. Boston fans will point to their injuries as if the Yankees loss of starting outfielder, two starting pitchers and the best closer in baseball doesn’t count. But what hurts them the most is that they did it on hollowed grounds, Fenway Park at a time when the Sox foolishly felt that they could get right back in this American League race. Instead they are shackled to the basement, a shell of their former selves.

PINCH HITS (a few short comments about observations this series)

- I hate to admit it but I am flustered by the fact that even with their injuries, the Sox seem to have a never-ending supply of youngsters to step in. On the plus side, they play well and have kept the Sox from sinking fast but they are inexperienced and I as sure will show that in the second half of the season

- Jarrod Saltalamacchia has been a messed up player since coming to the majors. When the Sox got him, I suspected that trend would continue and it did last year with a season of awful statistics and defense. Then this year he started out hot, with power to spare. This raises two flags. The first is HGH. ‘Nuf  said. The other is, is this trend at the start of this season, his coming into his own as a player or is it an aberration that will fade like bleached wash jeans. I think it is the latter.

-When the Sox signed Adrian Gonzalez, my first thought was “small market player, will not handle the pressure.” And everyone knows the kind of pressure the Sox media provides. Just ask the fried chicken twins, Beckett and Lackey. Although Gonzo had a good statistical year last year. When the going got tough in September, he disappeared faster then a cold beer on a hot day. This past series, with the sox down in game 4, he took himself out due to "illness"> Is there ant doubt in your mind that Big Papi or Dustin Pedroia or Derek Jeter would have wanted to be in there even if missing an arm or leg? When we began to hear comments about how it was god’s will that they struggle and lose kast year,  I knew it was all over. He is a talented ballplayer but I don’t think he has the Chutzpah to do it in Boston. History will be the judge of that.

Well, that’s it, post one is done. Tell your friends, let me know your thoughts and see you in a few days during the All Star break!

Top Ten Questions as we move forward…

Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee (Tom Cruise): I think I'm entitled to them.
Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I want the truth!
Jessep: You can't handle the truth...
“A Few Good Men” written by Aaron Sorkin, spoken by Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson

PART 1
The Yankees were eliminated from the 2011 postseason sometime around midnight last Thursday evening. In this post I wrote about my feelings on their failure to advance. Now, all the press conferences are over, players have returned home with thoughts of an extended vacation dancing in their heads, reporters have moved on to more important stories such as “Will the Jets totally collapse?” or “Will the NBA play at all this season?”, and Yankee brass have begun to plan for next year. The postmortem is finished for 2011, the Hot Stove has begun for 2012, and I have a bunch of questions that need to be answered sometime before “pitchers and catchers report“ (perhaps the sweetest 4 word combination in the English language). What follows, in no particular order of importance (because they are ALL important,) is a list of questions for next year and a few thoughts of my own for possible answers.

#1 – What happens to CC Sabathia?
He has that pesky opt out clause, the one that ARod pioneered with the Yankees just a few years ago. With 5 years left on his contract, CC will be looking for more years and more money. My opinion is that the Yankees should play hardball on this but will not. Why alienate the Big Guy right? I don’t believe there is any team out there that would do more than match what the Yankees already have in place in the contract 4 years and $92 million ($23 million a year) whereas I think he will want it extended to 7 years and $175 million and no one, NO ONE has that kind of money in MLB to throw around. My guess is some sort of year/salary compromise like 5-6 years at $24 million a year. Then again I thought the Yankees were going to play hardball with ARod but ownership stepped in and gave him more than he wanted and now he will be a Yankee until he begins to collect Social Security while still DHing against left handed pitchers…

#2 – Who will be in the starting rotation next season?
Well with CC and Nova, you have #1 and #2. The question then breaks down to several parts including “What about AJ?”, “What about Phil Hughes?”, “What about Garcia and Colon?”, and “Who will be the new additions?”. Obviously the Yankees owe AJ a lot of money still and overall his season was very disappointing BUT if you are content to view him as a #4 or #5 starter and take some solace in the fact that after working with the PC Wizard, Larry Rothschild, AJ did considerably better in September than in the previous 3 months AND threw a gem in his only post season start in 2011, you have something to hang hope on. Phil Hughes was thought to be a top of the rotation guy but a stop in the bullpen a couple of years ago and an injury plagued 2011 season AND his failure to fully develop another pitch which affected his ability “put batters away” when they have two strikes, does not bode well for the kid. I know my friends JHop and Maqz and my BIL Manhattan Man will gasp when they read this but I say put him in the pen and let him throw 1 inning in pressure situations. As for Garcia and Colon, they seemed to walk a tightrope of success all season long but I think Garcia maintained his balance while Colon wore down and tumbled. I think you have Garcia come back as the #5 starter and hope to catch old man lightening in a bottle one more time.

#3 “Who will be the new additions to the starting staff?”
This breaks out to 3 areas – free agents, major trades, and members of the Yankee Kiddie Korp. The only viable free agents would seem to be CJ Wilson who wants AJ type money and contract and Japanese youngster Yu Darvish (which may be one of the great baseball names of all times). I like Wilson because he is a great left handed contrast to CC and Nova and AJ, but not at AJ money (5 years/$80+ million). With the thin market though, that is what it might take to sign him. As for Yu, the success rate for Japanese pitchers is so high (/sarcasm) he probably will be worth millions like Matsuzaka and Irabu and Igawa were (/even more sarcasm). OK, I’ll give you Nomo but that’s it. Poor history makes this one a gamble, a big gamble. The Yankees do not need another minor league superstar. As for major trades, the one constant seems to be King Felix but Seattle will want everything plus Cashman’s first born child so I don’t think that is happening. The list of Yankee Kiddie Korps includes the Three Killer B’s, (Banuelos, Brackman and Betances) and Hector Noesi. One of them could be the next Ivan Nova and the best bet for this would be Noesi right now, although on potential Banuelos and Betances are way above him, just younger, much younger.

#4 “What happens to the bullpen?”
Here I think the top 3 – Rivera, Robertson and Soriano stay the same. Guys like Wade and Ayala will be there based on their performance in the spring as they both did well out of the pen this year. The Yankees could bring in a bunch of inexpensive journeymen to fill it out. I mentioned in Question #2 that Hughes should be out there too (/gasp) and he would round out the pen nicely. One other bullpen issue (and I hardly dare to mention it) is the impending retirement of Rivera, maybe the best player we have had the privilege to see. It might not be after next year but then again it might so NOW is the time to start to see who will move into that role – Robertson? Soriano? Hughes??? This one will have all of Yankee fandom on the edge of their seats.

#5 “What do we do with a guy named Posada?”
NY has some trouble at times letting go of its legends and at other times helps them pack their bags and give them a ride to the airport. This is one that will once again test the limits of our fandom. Up until the beginning of September I was riding Posada out of town on a rocket sled. No place for him, deteriorating skills, attitude issues. Then something sort of magical happened. He got a clutch hit or seven and rode that and the fans increasing support right into the playoffs and back into the 2012 pitcher. I must admit that while tweeting during games with some friends JHop and Maqz and CollegeBoy all echoed at one time or another his locker room presence and clubhouse kleadership. My BIL even put in it an email to me. So who am I to argue with this notion? Heck, its my blog, my thoughts and my reality so I stand by my conviction. Next year, NO Posada on the roster. However in a nod to the karma of the whole “Core Four” legend I would love to have the Yankees sign him for one more year and during Spring Training, have him announce his retirement. He could be retained as a special advisor, coach, clubhouse guru, whatever. Just give NY a chance to say goodbye and good luck – maybe a “Hip Hip Jorge! Day” at the Stadium in April or May, complete with boat, watch, plaque, lifetime season tickets and a donation to his charity. Winners, one and all.

Next post = five more questions and answers…

WTF is wrong with this picture Bud?

MEMORANDUM

To: Mr. Bud Selig
Subject: WTF?
From: T Fab P and baseball fans everywhere

It may seem that I only write to you when you make a mistake, which is like once or twice a week now-a-days. Remember when I told you back in June 2010 how to handle that no hitter/not no hitter when umpire, Jim Joyce, made that mistake that cost Armando Galarraga a chance at no hitter immortality? I laid it all out for you so you could have been the hero of the situation, but did you listen? No. I wrote to you again this past June, about the rumors of realignment and changes in the baseball playoffs. I gave you a detailed plan, centered on what the fans want, what we really need. Did you listen then? No. So when I heard about this newest debacle related to uniforms and commemorating September 11th, I harbored no fantasy or expectation that you would actually listen because this is all about the money for you and the owners. But I will tell you anyway and hope you will do the right thing. Do I suspect you will listen? No. But here it is anyway.

When baseball resumed playing after the September 11th tragedy, both the Yankees and Mets, our New York teams, honored the bravest and finest, by wearing caps that saluted the 343 policemen and firemen and EMT’s and paramedics who gave their lives that day as well as the hundreds more who were first responders. This was a stirring tribute, one that to this day, still brings a tear to my eye. They honored them and they deserved every moment of remembrance that this brought.

So imagine how I felt, how the fans of baseball felt, when we heard that the Yankee and Met players were planning to wear those caps again, on the 10th anniversary of that tragedy, in memory. What a wonderful and fitting tribute, devoid of any reason other than altruism, one to be embraced, and respected and honored.

So did MLB do the right thing here? Did they grab this wonderful notion and hold it up for the entire world to see? Oh, come on now, you know the answer as well as I do. No, they did not. They banned the wearing of those caps. They threatened to fine any players significantly if they ignored the ban. Was the reasoning pure? Oh, come on now, you know the answer to that too. Baseball with you, former owner and current commissioner, was going to honor your favorite thing in all the world - money. You butchered this one up real good. Just like you have infringed in all matters of patriotism with your MLB "official caps" on the 4th of July or Memorial Day, you have produced the “OFFICIAL” September 11th baseball cap, complete with American Flag on the back, that we the fan, will have the opportunity to purchase for a mere $36.99. Yes, you said no to the memory, yes to the money and produced a cap that would be worn on only “one day” in order to make a killing on the deaths and sacrifices of these true heroes.

Well you know what Buddy Boy, you can take your patriotic clap trap and shove it up your and MLB’s ass. I wouldn’t want one of your caps if you gave them away for free. If I got my way, this will be the spark of an event that leads to you resigning in disgrace. This was unconscionable. This was bad PR, this was greedy and self important. This was a mistake.

You sir, are an idiot…